


Ice Princess: Dawn

by BrennaLynn



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ice Castles (1978), Ice Princess (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 09:32:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4999633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrennaLynn/pseuds/BrennaLynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: My take on the Disney movie Ice Princess as set in Buffy the Vampire Slayer</p><p>A/U: Set a couple months after the end of BTVS Season 7.</p><p>Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Disney owns Ice Princess. Donald Wrye and Gary Waim (I assume… they are both credited for Ice Castles, both original and remake) own Ice Castles and are listed on the novelization.</p><p>Author's Note: Some liberties were taken. It was stated in BTVS that Buffy did skate at some point. There was mention of a Dorothy Hamill phase. It was just never mentioned from what age to what age she actually skated. So I had her skate up till she was called and had her compete in the Regionals once before having to quit because she became the Slayer. Also while ages don't really mesh between Tina and Buffy I had Tina and Buffy compete against each other at said Regionals.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dawn skated across the pond as Buffy watched from inside the house smiling, remembering when she used to do that. She rapped on the window and held up the math book, reminding her sister she had homework to do. Dawn held up her hand indicating 5 more minutes, and Buffy nodded her consent.

The next day the bell had just rung, ending the physics class Dawn was in.

"Dawn! Can I see you?"

Dawn was nearly out the door when her physics teacher called her. She did a quick mental check, searching for something she might have done wrong, but she came up blank. "Is there a problem, Mr. Bast?" She asked, stepping back into the lab.

He raised his hand, signaling her to wait, as he removed one slice from a wrapped package of sliced bread on his desk. He took it to a lab table and lit a Bunsen burner. Then he grabbed the slice with lab tongs and began toasting it.

"Nothing's wrong," he said with a smile. "I was just curious if you've begun weighing your college options."

"My _options_ ," Dawn said, repeating his word. "They're going to be, ah, pretty much dictated by the price tag," She explained. By that she meant she would be attending the college or university that awarded her the biggest scholarship.

When Joyce Summers had passed away her will had set up a college education fund from the proceeds of her estate. Problem was there was no proceeds from her estate after the medical bills had been paid. Add on top of that Sunnydale falling into a crater and the insurance money had barely been able to pay for the house she and Buffy now lived in here in Millbrook, Conneticut.

He nodded and turned his bread over. "Heard of the Helen Stoller Physics Scholarship?"

"No," Dawn replied. Since she and Buffy had moved here a shortly after Sunnydale's collapse she had been researching the various colleges nearby and the various scholarships that they offered. Though she was good at science it was not her first choice for a scholarship since she wanted to learn ancient languages and mythology. So she hadn't looked into science scholarships heavily.

"It's given to a student from this part of the state that shows the most promise in physics." Mr. Bast explained, still toasting.

Dawn's mind raced. Ann, the only friend Dawn had made since she and Buffy had moved here, came to her mind. Ann, was great in physics and so were a few other kids in her class. She knew she was up there with them, but was she the _best_? "Wouldn't that be Ann or…?"

"I'm talking about you," he said. "You have a calling, Dawn."

"I, do?" Dawn questioned. She wasn't sure if she wanted a _calling_. After all, the Slayer had been referred to as Buffy's _calling._ "What is it?"

"Physics!" he cried excitedly, waving his tongs. "Toast?" he offered.

"Uh … Sure," Dawn replied as her stomach growled.

Mr. Bast went back to his desk and opened a drawer. Inside was a jar of strawberry jam. "You're very lucky," he continued as he opened the jar. "Most people search their whole lives for their calling."

"But how do you _know_ if something's your calling?" Dawn asked.

"When your brilliant teacher tells you so," he replied, handing Dawn the toast with jam. "And of course your eleven straight A pluses on exams is a hint."

"Wow… I have a calling," Dawn said, she just happened to disagree on what the calling was.

"Indeed, you do," Mr. Bast confirmed. "To compete for the scholarship – which you can use to attend whatever college or university you chose – you will need a letter from me for the scholarship and think of a special physics project over the summer."

"What kind of physics project?" Dawn asked.

"It should be something unusual but personal," he said. "Let them know you a little. The student with the project that is considered the best will win the scholarship."

"I will think about it Mr. Bast, and let you know soon." Dawn said and hurried out of the classroom, munching on her Bunsen burner toast.

Lunch was nearly over by the time Dawn reached the cafeteria. Her friend Ann was leaving just as she arrived. She saw Dawn and waved, hurrying over to meet her. "Why did you miss lunch?" she asked.

Dawn told her what Mr. Bast had said about the Helen Stoller scholarship as they walked out into the hall together. "He said physics was my calling and he's write me a letter of recommendation," Dawn added.

Ann smiled, "QED."

Dawn frowned, "How is this 'quite easily demonstrated?' You're as good in physics as I am."

Ann shook her head, "Not even close," she disagreed. "I grind, you glide." Dawn understood what she meant. In the time they had gotten to know each other. She had found out that stuff she had found easy, Ann had to study much harder to get her good grades.

Ann suddenly stopped short and gripped Dawn's wrist. Following the direction of her gaze, Dawn spotted Kyle Dayton, a hockey-playing senior-class hottie, coming toward us. They just stood and stared at him, probably looking like two fools, as he walked right past them without even noticing.

Ann kept her eyes on him until he turned the hallway corner. "One day that guy will wake up and realize he needs a math tutor," she said dreamily. "And that tutor will be me."

With Kyle Dayton out of sigh, Ann's mind unclouded and they were able to talk about the scholarship again. They continued talking as they turned the hall corner. "I don't really know if I want to go into physics. Sure I may be good at it. But I want to do go to college for Ancient Languages and Mythology, not physics.

Ann didn't comment and, looking up, Dawn realized she was distracted by the sight in front of them. A small crowd of what she might call the "popular kids" or if this was back in Sunnydale what her sister called Cordelia's followers, the "Cordettes" was gathered together. Blond, gorgeous Gen Harwood was handing out small envelopes, probably invitations, to the cheerleaders, football players, and other "cool" kids in her clique of friends.

In the next minute something truly bizarre and unexpected happened. Gene looked in Dawn's direction and smiled. She started towards Dawn and Ann extending an invitation out to Dawn.

"Hi you're Dawn right?" she asked, still smiling. Dawn nodded, totally stunned as she handed Dawn the invitation. "This is an invite to my boyfriend's party," she said.

"Wow," Dawn murmured.

"You're in chem lab with Aaron Hennings, aren't you?" she continued. "Can you give that to him?"

Gen breezed off down the hallway, leaving Dawn holding the so not hers invitation. "That was way inconsiderate," Ann commented.

Dawn agreed. "Yeah I know."

That evening, Dawn told Buffy about the Helen Stoller Scholarship as she cooked dinner. Buffy was outside the kitchen window watering some plants. "So Mr. Bast found a physics' scholarship he thinks you should apply for hunh?" Buffy said.

Dawn nodded, "Yeah, but I don't want to go to college to study physics. I want to go to college to study ancient languages and mythology."

"I know Dawn." Buffy turned towards the window and nodded. "But we're not rolling in dough here. The insurance money from the destruction of the house back in Sunnydale barely covered this place. It's going to be hard trying to put you through college without one. If you can get in with a physics scholarship, you could always double major. That way you get the degree you want and you please the folks funding your education."

Dawn sighed, "I guess … I have to figure out what he wants from me then. I mean, what is a personal science project? Isn't the nature of science supposed to be completely unbiased and factual? Now he wants the inner me, too?

Buffy shrugged, "You would have to ask Willow. Why don't you call her after dinner and ask."

"Buffy do you regret moving here away from Willow, Xander and Giles?" Dawn asked.

Buffy thought about it for a moment and then shook her head, "With all the other Slayers activated, I can finally retire and lead a quiet life. While I do miss Willow, Xander and Giles, I'm happy with what we got going here. Talking about what we got going here, you've gotten good at skating. Probably as good as your old sister used to be."

Dawn laughed, "Who knows maybe better. I did have a wonderful teacher after all."

"I wish I could afford for you to take private lessons. I've taught you pretty much about all I can." Buffy said.

Later that evening after dinner, Dawn called up Willow, "Hey Willow, its Dawn. You got a couple minutes?"

"Sure Dawnie, what's up?" Willow asked.

Dawn looked to Buffy for a second, "I need some help. My science teacher wants me to apply for a physics scholarship. Buffy thinks it would be a good idea since she may not be able to cover the cost of college tuition herself and there really isn't a scholarship for ancient languages and mythology."

"Yeah Dawn, your babbling you know?" Willow said.

Dawn laughed, "Sorry. Anyways my teacher wants me to do a personal science project. What is a personal science project? Isn't the nature of science supposed to be completely unbiased and factual? Now he wants the inner me, too?"

"Dawn, sweetie. You will know your topic when it comes to you." Willow said. "Take me for example. I went to UC Sunnydale on a scholarship. I applied for one in Computer Science because that was something I was good at, and it interested me. I was able to weave myself into the project by showing what I could do. What are you good at Dawn?"

Dawn smiled, "Skating. Buffy thinks I'm as good as her now."

"Well there you go Dawn, do something on skating. But make it personal to you. Find a way to put yourself in to the experiment." Willow said.

Dawn nodded, "Thanks, Willow."

"No problem, Dawn. Give Buffy my love and talk to you later." Willow said.

Dawn laughed, "Will do. Talk to ya later." She then hung and sat down next to Buffy, "Willow said to do something on skating. And to find a way to put myself in to the experiment."

Buffy smiled, "That sounds like a good idea, Dawn."

"Oh and Willow said for me to give you her love." Dawn said.

Buffy laughed, "Next time I talk to her I will have to thank her."

The scholarship project was still on Dawn's mind as she sat down to watch the National Figure Skating Championships on TV that night. Ann had come over to watch them with her.

Before long, though, Dawn had forgotten all about her scholarship worries as she became swept up in the excitement of the competition. One of her favorite skaters had just launched a spectacular triple jump.

Dawn stood up anxiously, suddenly realizing that she might not land the jump. "Ohh!" Dawn shouted in disappointment as the skater fell and slid along the ice on her butt.

"She had it locked up." Dawn cried, flopping back onto the couch.

Buffy looked back at Dawn from the kitchen where she was doing dishes, "Miss a jump, Dawnie?"

Dawn looked at Buffy and nodded before she turned her attention back to the TV. "Yeah."

Dawn watched with admiration as she got right back up and continued her routine as if the fall hadn't happened. "Look at that recovery," she pointed out. "Amazing. She'll still place."

"Ann, would you like some ice cream?" Buffy asked.

Ann smiled, "If you don't mind. Ms. Summers."

"I don't mind." Buffy said. "And Ann how many times do I have to tell you to call me Buffy. Ms. Summers makes me feel old and I am not that much older than you. Dawnie you want some."

Dawn simply nodded watching the TV as Buffy fixed three bowls of ice cream and took them to Dawn and Ann as she sat down next to her sister.

An idea was beginning to form in Dawn's head as she watched. "You know what?" Dawn said, her eyes still riveted on the TV set. "I bet there's an exact aerodynamic formula for that jump."

Buffy looked over at Dawn smiling. "Now you just need to figure out how to put yourself in to the experiment."

Dawn nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Once Dawn came up with the idea, she couldn’t wait to get started on her project. The closest skating arena was the Harwood Rink, so Buffy drove her there early the next Saturday morning.

Dawn’s heart thumped nervously as she and Buffy entered and walked down the linoleum floor of a hallway lined with photos of skaters. Dawn adjusted the strap of her day-pack that held their mom’s camcorder. Buffy carried a large bag filled with various items among them her old skates as well as paperwork that they might need to sway the instructor and any parents that Dawn might need to talk to.

They entere a doorway at the top level of bleachers and gazed down at the dimly lit rink at the bottom. No one seemed to be there even though the front door hadn’t been locked.

Then— _BAM!_ —bright fluorescent lights clicked on and the ice suddenly shone like a diamond.

Music kicked in next as three female figure skaters dressed in pretty practice outfits skated out.

“Why don't you get setup?” Buffy said. “I will try and find the instructor to make sure everything is ok."

Dawn nodded as Buffy left. Dawn continued down the bleacher stairway until she was behind the boards. She was as close to the ice as she could be without actually standing on it.

Dawn noticed that the three girls now on the ice she recognized from school. She didn’t know them personally, but she knew their names… Tiffany Kwong, Nikki Sellman and Gen Harwood.

Dawn took the camcorder from its case and began to film the practice. Almost immediately, Nikki did an amazing move called a triple toe loop. It was just the type of thing Dawn had come her to film and she’d captured every bit of it. She was still filming when the camera was suddenly jerked away from her.

A blond woman in her thirties stood in front of Dawn, red-faced with fury, gripping the camcorder in one hand. “ _WHAT_ do you think you're doing!" she demonded angrily. “Why are you filming my skaters?”

She was so enraged that Dawn didn’t know what to say. “It’s, ah . . . my . . . my physics project,” Dawn stammered out her explanation.

Buffy walked up behind Tina, "Excuse me are you the instructor?"

Tina turned to look at Buffy, "Yes and you are?"

"Buffy Summers, and this is my sister, Dawn." Buffy said.

The woman looked at Dawn and then back at Buffy, "Then maybe you can answer my questions? Why is she filming my skaters?"

Buffy smiled, "It's for a physics scholarship."

The woman ignored this as she turned back to Dawn. "You were scoping her triple loop. Why?"

Buffy frowned, "Look lady. You don't talk to her like she is some criminal. I was trying to find you to make sure it were alright. This is indeed for a physics scholarship. Unlike you I can't afford to send Dawn to college. That means she needs a scholarship."

The woman frowned and looked back at Buffy. “Teddy!” she called to a young guy in the bleachers who was repairing one of the seats. “Come down here!”

He was very large and was holding a huge wrench in his hands as he headed towards them. “Keep her here,” the woman instructed him. “I'm going to talk to Ms. Summers alone for a moment."

Buffy and the woman walked back upstairs and into Tina's office.

She turned sharply to Buffy, "I'm not going to call the cops. The rink is closed from six in the morning until ten for private practice. The girls down there are training for the Regional Championships."

Buffy nodded, "I understand completely. When I was 14 I actually trained for the Regionals myself. You're worried that another coach could film your skaters and then use that information to improve their own."

"You got it. So you skated?" The woman said.

Buffy nodded, "Nine years ago."

"Out in California, correct?" The woman said thinking back. About nine years ago she had lived out in California for a brief time.

Buffy smiled, "Yes."

"I think I remember you. I think we may have competed against each other, once." The woman said.

"It's a possibility." Buffy replied. “What’s your name?”

“Tina Harwood.” Tina replied.

Buffy thought about it for a moment. “I remember you. We competed against each other that one time.”

"I heard you dropped out after placing in the regionals. Mind if I ask why?" Tina said.

Buffy sighed, "When I turned 15 we moved to Sunnydale from Los Angeles. Mine and Dawn's parents had just gotten divorced. Mom was trying to raise me and Dawn alone, money was tight. We couldn't afford for me to continue to compete."

She knew it was a half lie, she could have continued to compete if she hadn't become the Slayer a year before the move. "I wish I had the money myself right now, I would be paying for a coach for Dawn right now… She's good. Anyways all she wants to do is film the skaters for her physics project. The only people that will ever see the video will be the scholarship committee. I can guarantee that."

"Fine I don't have a problem with her pressing her nose up against the glass and taking some notes. But in the end it's really not up to me. You will have a hard sell with the parents." Tina said.

Buffy nodded, "As I thought we would. I made sure Dawn came prepared for that eventuality."

They walked back out and Tina walked over to the rink… And Buffy walked over to Dawn, "Need to talk to the parents."

By the end of the session, two parents, Tiffany’s dad and Nikki’s mom, had come in and were staring at Dawn suspiciously. At the end of the session Dawn went to explain to the parents why she was there. Dawn took a deep breath and attempted to tell them what she wanted to do for her project. "I am applying for a physics scholarship for college. I want to film the skaters and see if a unified theory emerges. I’ll enter the data into my _Willow_ program and—”

“What program?” Nikki’s mom interrupted.

“A high-level software for creating and editing three-dimensional graphics and animation created by a friend of my sister’s named Willow Rosenberg, and named after her,” Dawn told them. “With this I can study things like the inference angle of the blade entering a jump and its effects on velocity and height—”

“No,” Nikki’s mom broke in again. “The only authorized film footage of Nikki appears on her Web site, www.TeamNikki.com. I charge people ten-ninety-five a month to watch her lutz. We got ten thousand hits last month.”

“And ninety-eight-hundred of them were you,” Tiffany’s dad cracked. Nikki’s mom just glowered at him.

“None of this footage will ever be seen outside the scholarship committee,” Dawn assured them. “Here's the letter from my teacher explaining the assignment. And my driver's license. Um... I've also got some letters of references from people l baby-sat for back in Sunnydale."

Nikki's mom nodded, "It's possible. We'll have the Team Nikki legal team check this out." She turned and left.

“No talking to my daughter,” Tiffany’s dad warned. “She’s training. No distractions.”

“Not a word. No,” Dawn promised.

Buffy smiled at Dawn, "You did well, Dawnie."

Gen had skated up and came off the ice. "Look, I don't care if you're here. If you post me on the school Web site falling on my butt, you better transfer to another school."

The next morning Buffy drove Dawn to the rink super early again. Dawn filmed Tiffany doing an amazing spiral sequence. Gen spun so fast she became a blur of movement and Nikki’s jumps were made awesome.

At one point Dawn became so involved in what she was doing that she stepped out onto the ice to get a better shot. Immediately, a voice shouted at her. "Hey! No street shoes on the ice!"

Dawn looked at Buffy who had not noticed that Dawn had been on the ice. “Sorry.” Buffy said. “I should have said something. But it’s a good thing I came prepared." She pulled out her pair of skates from the bag.

Dawn smiled and quickly laced them up and got back out on the ice with the camcorder.

Actually, it turned out for the best because Dawn found that she could really get the film footage she needed when she was closer. She skated around the girls and in between them, filming from every angle.

Teddy came up beside Buffy, "She's a natural."

Buffy nodded, "I know, I just wish I could afford to pay so she can take some lessons. I've taught her everything I know, which is all 9 years old."

One time, while Dawn was filming Gen in the middle of a spin, she suddenly became distracted and lost her balance, sprawling onto the ice. Dawn was sure she’d be blamed, but instead Tina shouted up at a guy standing in the bleachers. “Brian! She's training! You know the rules!"

Looking up at him, Dawn recognized Gen’s boyfriend. He held up something in a wrapper. "l brought her a burger, Mrs. H," he said.

"Gen can't eat that." Tina replied.

Gen got up and skated to Tina. "Come on, l'm burning tons of calories."

"Not enough." Tina refused.

"A half-hour?" Gen asked.

"Not if you want to win," Tina refused again.

"Hey, Mrs. Harwood," Brian called. "You should coach our basketball team. We could use a kick in the butt."

“If you don't leave this instant, that's exactly what you'll get!" Tina shouted back at him.

Brian left and Gen started practicing again.

Tina didn't seem to care how angry her daughter might be. "I do not want him coming here during practice, do you hear me?" she said firmly.

"But l never gets to see him!" Gen argued. "Every other girl l knows..."

"You're not like the other girls, Gennifer," Tina insisted. "Winners make sacrifices."

"Maybe they just cheat." Gen shot back.

Tina noticed that Dawn had the camera pointed at her and Gen, "Turn that off!"

Dawn blanched, "Sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

By the end of the week, Dawn had fed images into the program and studied them closely. Using her knowledge of physics, she’d done her best to apply formulas to the skaters’ movements. Even though she’d really worked hard on writing up her project—she’d included graphs, the formulas, and the digital images—she was nervous when she finally gave it to Ann to read.

Buffy and Dawn had Ann over for dinner one evening and while they ate, Ann read. "The conclusion is too simplistic, isn't it?" Dawn asked anxiously. "The kinetic energy in a jump equals half the skater's mass times velocity squared minus–"

Buffy shook her head cutting Dawn off, "If that is simple. Then it's over my head, Dawn."

Ann smiled, "I have to agree with your sister. I don't know if it's simplistic or not. I could barely understand it!”

Dawn looked at Ann, puzzled. Then an uneasy look came into Ann’s eyes. Dawn had come to know Ann real well over the months since she and Buffy had moved to Millbrook. She knew before Ann opened her mouth that she was about to say something. “I don't know if they'll care,” she began cautiously, “but it's just a little bit… dry."

Ann didn’t want to say it and Dawn didn’t want to hear it—but she knew Ann was right. "A little dry," Dawn repeated Ann's words. "Mr. Bast said to make it personal. How do I do that?"

Ann shrugged. "I don't know. Put more you in it."

Buffy nodded, "Remember what Willow said. Put yourself in to the experiment."

Dawn nodded and thought about it. She was already on the ice, right there with the skaters. If there was any more her in the project she’d actually have to do the moves herself.

Dawn’s eyes suddenly widened as the idea hit her. That was it! She’d do the moves herself! "Buffy how much does a skating lesson cost?"

Buffy sighed, "Several hundred at least, not really sure how much. It's been several years since I skated, remember. And with inflation it will cost more today than it did when I skated. I will drive you by the rink and you can ask Mrs. Harwood. But if you want to take lessons I can only pay a small portion, a hundred maybe two. You're going to have to get a part time job for the rest."

After finishing their dinner and bidding Ann goodbye, Buffy drove her and Dawn to the rink. They caught up with Tina in the rink parking lot. Buffy had just barely parked when Dawn jumped out of the car. “Excuse me, Tina . . .” Dawn said, hurrying up to her.

She turned and looked at Dawn with a questioning expression. "Is there any way I could take a few lessons? I think I might be able to write a little better about some of these principles if I'm the one actually applying them, so if there's any way-"

"Fine," Tina interrupted Dawn. "We're starting a novice-level class for the summer session. That's three afternoons a week, eight hundred dollars."

Dawn looked back at Buffy, who was waiting in the car, "Eight hundred dollars!" Buffy sighed as she heard with her Slayer heard what Dawn had said. Dawn turned back to Tina, "Well, I don't need a whole session. It would be really cool if I could, like, work on my form for a single loop and maybe a lutz."

Tina seemed amused by what Dawn was suggesting. "It doesn't work like that," she said, shaking her head. "You can't just order one from Column A and one from Column B." She continued walking to her car and Dawn followed. "You're not a bad skater. Let me know if you change your mind."

"When does the class start?" Dawn asked, wondering how much time she would have to try and pull that kind of cash together.

"In two weeks. I expect your payment for the class no later than the day before." Tine said.

"Thanks.” Dawn turned and walked back to Buffy’s car and got in. She turned to look at her sister, "Know anyone who's hiring?"

Buffy smiled and got out of the car, "Mrs. Harwood a moment please?"

Tina turned to Buffy, "Ah, Ms. Summers. How can I help you?"

"To be able to afford your classes, Dawn will have to work a part time job. Do you have an opening, maybe in the concession stand? She works for you; you get to take the cost of the class out of her pay." Buffy said.

Tina thought for a moment, "That might work. And if she doesn't have the full eight hundred by time class starts she keeps working till it is paid off."

Buffy smiled, "Thank you." Buffy turned and got back in her car. "All taken care of, Dawnie. You will work in the concessions stand for Mrs. Harwood. She will take the cost of the class out of your wages. If it's not paid off by the start of class you will continue to work for her till it is paid off."

Dawn smiles and hugs Buffy, "Thanks, Buffy."

The following Saturday was Dawn’s first day working behind the counter of the concession stand at the rink as Tina showed Dawn everything, "Now your sister went to lengths to make sure you could take that class. So I expect only the best."

Dawn nodded, "Of course, Mrs. Harwood."

"You can keep your tips if you have any. If you want to use them to pay for the class, that is up to you. But they will be yours to keep." Tina said.

"That's fine." Dawn replied.

Tina turned and left and Dawn opened the windows for the stand.

Gen came up to the stand. "What are you doing here?" she asked as Nikki and Tiffany came up behind her.

"Um… working," Dawn replied, "for my science project."

"Aren't you going a little overboard with this project?" Gen asked.

"Well…" Dawn began. "I'm completely committed to it, just like guys are committed to your skating."

"Whatever," Nikki said, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. "I'm starving. BLT here, hold the B, heavy on the L."

Tiffany gave Dawn her order, speaking so softly that Dawn had to strain to hear her. "Beef patty, no bun," Tiffany requested. "Squish it till it's dry."

"Salad for me," Gen added. "Just put in iceberg lettuce, half a cup of garbanzo beans, and a lemon wedge. Since it’s Saturday, I’ll splurge and say add a quarter cup of cheese to the salad."

"Ooh cheese," Nikki teased Gen."

"Coming up," Dawn told them.

She put their orders together while they talked at the counter. They acted like Dawn wasn’t even there, but she couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.

"I don't know what's wrong. I'm popping my lutz," Gen told them, looking worried.

"It's all that cheese you've been eating," Nikki joked.

"My father noticed I gained." Tiffany said sadly no joking one bit.

"He noticed a quarter pound?" Nikki asked in disbelief.

Tiffany nodded, "He says I'm not serious enough. I've got to focus more. I heard Zoey Bloch's been sticking a quad."

"That's a rumor," Gen scoffed, "and she probably started it herself."

"It's kind of early in the season for stupid head games," Nikki complained.

"Not for Zoey,” Gen said. “She stole Chantal DeGroat's skates at the regionals."

"Re-ally," Nikki said. "I heard it was her mother who did it."

Dawn delivered their salads and they took them without a word of thanks. The only one who even spoke to her was Gen, who complained that Dawn had given her too much cheese as she picked most of it out of the bowl.

**  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Dawn didn’t think she could have felt any more geeky and out of place than she did the day of the first class as she skated out on the ice in her jeans, bulky sweater, and her sister’s old skates. The class consisted of ten little girls and one little boy, probably between the ages of four to seven, And then there was the matter of Dawn’s outfit—or lack of outfit. All of them were dressed in sleek workout clothes and gleaming new skates.

"Are you a substitute teacher?" a little girl of about size demanded to know in a disapproving tone, her hands on her slim hips, "because my mom paid for Tina and if Tina's not teaching us, then-"

"I'm a student!" Dawn said quickly. "Really – just like you guys."

"You're kidding!" said the one little boy, who looked to be five years old. "What are you–thirty!?"

“Eighteen,” Dawn replied.

The little boy smirked and waved his hand at Dawn dismissively. "You're over."

"I didn't start skating until I was five," the demanding little girl put in, "and that was late."

"Too late to compete," the boy agreed.

"I'm not in this to compete." Dawn told them.

Tina appeared on the ice, not wearing skates, and walked towards them. "All right, everybody,” she announced. “Welcome to our Snowplow Sam class. Let's line up."

The class along with Dawn lined up in a straight line. Buffy who had got off work that day sat in the bleachers watching as she barely managed to stifled a laugh.

Gen skated over to the group breathlessly. "Class, can you tell our assistant the most important rule of this class?" Tina asked, glowering at her daughter.

"Use the bathroom before class?" a little girl offered.

Gen shook her head, "Mom!"

Dawn looked around her as the rest of the class answered Tina's question, "Never be late!"

Gen started to apologize to her mother. “Sorry, I was—”

Tina turned away from Gen and addressed the class. "We've got a lot to do if we're going to be ready for our recital in August. We're going to work on our toe loop…"

Gen demonstrated a toe loop.

"… our lutz …" Tina continued as Gen did a lutz for the class.

"But first,” Tina went on, “you all have to get comfortable throwing you bodies in the air." She then turned to Dawn, "Dawn, you're a physics whiz – what's the rule about what goes up?"

"Technically, it's that every particle attracts…" Dawn said.

Tina shook her head, "Dawn."

Dawn sighed, "Must come down."

“Right!” Tina agreed. “So grab some Styrofoam.” She and Gen began handing out thick Styrofoam pads attached to Velcro belts. Dawn looked at Buffy as if to ask do I have to, Buffy simply smiled and nodded as Gen skated over to Dawn and handed her two pads, knowing one by itself wouldn’t fit her.

Even though Dawn considered herself a decent skater, jumping was completely new to her. And as a result she spent a lot the session sprawled on the ice. Once she threw herself high into the air and actually wobbled down on two feet next to the bossy little girl she’d spoken to her earlier. "Could you try to, like, not squish me?" she scolded.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized breathlessly.

"Dawn, you've got to pull your arms in," Tina advised as she walked toward her. "They're throwing you off balance."

Dawn nodded and tried the jump again, this time pulling her arms in tightly to her side. Once again she came down on her blades and this time it was a much smoother landing.

"Now try that about five thousand more times." Tina said as she walked off to assist another student.

"Right," Dawn muttered. She watched the other kids attacking their jumps with total concentration and intensity.

The little boy did a jump Dawn thought was amazing. She opened her mouth to tell him what a good job he;d done when another voice boomed out from the side of the rink. “Jeremy,” a woman yelled, “that toe pick is there for a reason! You dig it in or no TV for a week!”

Dawn was glad Buffy wasn't that obsessed. Though she had to wonder if their mother had been that obsessed with Buffy when she had trained for the Regionals back in California.

The bossy little girl skated past Dawn, gliding on one leg with the other extended behind. "This is a lot of pressure for a recital," Dawn commented to her.

"It's only everything," she replied coolly. "The whole point is that you've got to pass the USFSA-JST."

Dawn nodded having heard about the U.S. Figure Skating Association’s Juvenile Skating Test from Buffy, "Which makes things twice as difficult for you all."

The girl looked surprised that Dawn even knew about the test, "You know what that is?"

Dawn nodded and pointed to Buffy, "My sister had to pass it when she was skating."

After that the bossy little girl, who Dawn found out later was named Lily, looked at Dawn with newfound respect.

The next three hours passed with her practicing jumping and throwing herself in to the air. Dawn was the last to leave the ice as Teddy drove the Zamboni out on the ice. She watched as the machine created fresh, clean, gleaming ice wherever it went. She stood and was about to go back out on the ice when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Dawn turned to look at Buffy who shook her head, "It's dangerous with the Zamboni out there, Dawn."

Dawn nodded and sat down waiting for Teddy to finish. She wanted to take one quick pass to see the difference.

Teddy came up next to Buffy, "Scratching up my nice clean ice."

Buffy nodded, "That's Dawn. She's not used to the smooth surface."

"Lake skater?" Teddy asked.

Buffy shook her head, "Me, no. I'm a rink skater. Just haven't been skating in years… Oh you mean Dawn, yes pretty much."

Dawn skated over to the railing wobbling slightly as Teddy turned to face her, "You really must want that A."

"It's not for an A, it's for a physics scholarship," Dawn told him.

"What, like inertia, and drag, and velocity, and all that?" Teddy asked.

Dawn looked at him, surprised. "How did you know about that?"

"I'm into cars," Teddy explained. He jerked his head toward the Zamboni. "I get that baby out on the road I can open her up to… oh, seven miles an hour. She'll blow the doors off any street sweeper in town."

"We should get home, right Buffy?" Dawn asked.

Buffy nods, "Yeah, we should."

Dawn took off her skates and put back on her regular shoes before they left.

In the car Buffy turned to face Dawn, "Looks like someone has a crush?"

Dawn blushed, "Buffy! I so do not."

"You so do, too." Buffy teased her.


	5. Chapter 5

That night Dawn's muscles ached horribly. Buffy had been kind enough to draw Dawn a bath so she could relax a bit. After the bath, Dawn went straight to her computer and brought up the physics project.

Trying to do the jumps herself had been exactly the right thing to do. It had given her a much more personal understanding of what muscles were used and how much pre-takeoff speed was required.

Based on this new understanding, Dawn decided to reexamine her skating images and analyze them again. She was still working on creating new formulas when Buffy looked in on her at about one in the morning.

"How's it coming?" she asked.

"It's coming," Dawn replied, looking back and forth from her computer screen to her notebook as she jotted down equations.

Buffy nodded as she understood. "It's not as easy as I or those girls made it look though."

Dawn nodded. "Exactly. Doing it myself made me want to reanalyze everything. Buffy do you ever miss it?"

"Sometimes, that and the cheerleading.” Buffy said as she thought back to her pre-Slayer days. “Before we moved to Sunnydale, when I became the Slayer I had to give all that up. Sometimes I think it would be nice to go back and change my life. But if I did that, not become the Slayer. You wouldn't be here right now; you would have been someone else's sister. And to tell the truth I can't imagine my life without you in it."

Dawn smiled. "Thanks, Buffy."

Buffy smiled back. "You're welcome, Dawnie. So are you going to be in the recital?"

"I don't think so," Dawn said with a shake of her head.

"You should consider it.” Buffy said. “Till then though go to sleep sometime, okay."

"Okay," Dawn agreed.

For the next three weeks Dawn worked at the snack bar from morning until late afternoon, and then she hit the ice. Three days a week she went for her lesson and on the other four days she practiced. Being Tina Harwood’s student entitled Dawn to unlimited practice time on the rink and she took advantage of every second of it. At some point, Dawn wasn’t sure when exactly, Buffy had found a pair of used skates at a yard sale and when work permitted she joined Dawn at the rink.

Before Dawn knew it, it was nearly time for the recital. And so one day, in the rink, as Tina handed out costumes, Dawn told her that she wasn’t going to be in the recital. "Oh, so you're nervous," she said.

"I'm not!" Dawn protested.

"No, I get it," she insisted knowingly. "It is harrowing, getting up there in front of all those people."

"Tina, I'm in a baby class," Dawn reminded her. "I don't think there's anything to get scared about."

Tina shot Dawn a skeptical look. "Everyone gets scared—every time," she said.

Dawn sighed.

One afternoon, Dawn asked Ann to come to the rink so she could film Dawn as she skated. She hoped that if she included a film of herself skating and explaining her project it would help make the whole thing seem more _personal._

"Hi! I'm Dawn Summers!" Dawn chirped into the camera. "And I've decided to see if I could prove my own hypotheses on the application of physics to the required elements of competitive figure skating. First let me demonstrate a single flip that does not work."

Ann continued filming as Dawn skated quickly enough to pick up the speed she needed to attempt a single flip. Instead of trying to do it correctly, Dawn intentionally kept her upper body loose, her legs tight, and leaned too far forward. As she expected, the flip didn’t get very high and she managed a shaky landing.

"That pretty much blows," Ann commented.

Dawn skated up to her and spoke into the camera. "Now I'm going to increase the centripetal force by tucking in my arms. This will decrease my moment of inertia, enabling me to spin faster. I'll increase the height of my jump by applying more force to my toe pick."

Skating back out into the rink, Dawn picked up speed she needed. She planted her toe pick properly this time and leaped high. She pulled her upper body in tight and landed a more-than-decent flip.

"Okay!" Ann cheered. "Now let's see you push it!"

"What?" Dawn asked.

"Let's make it dramatic! We need the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat!" Ann shouted excitedly. "This video is boring. Make it exciting!"

"Okay," Dawn said, accepting her challenge. "Watch this!"

Dawn skated fast, faster than she'd skated before. As long as the camera was on, she decided to give it all she had. Leaping into the air, she realized she was going really high. She spin—and spun again! The extra height she’d reached allowed her the time for the extra spin.

Dawn didn’t want to think about falling out of her land, not from this height. And—to her complete shock—she didn’t. She stuck it.

She’d done a perfect double flip!

Ann was as amazed as Dawn was. She lowered the camera and stared at Dawn her mouth open. "That was like, wow."

Dawn’s heart was pounding in her chest. It was partly from the effort of doing the gouble flip, but it was from excitement, too. She’d just accomplished something amazing and all of a sudden she wanted to show everyone what she could do!

That evening at dinner Dawn looked at Buffy and smiled. "I want to do it, Buffy."

"I assume you mean the recital?" Buffy asked as she smiled.

Dawn nodded. "Yes."

Buffy laughed. "I thought you would.

The next day Dawn couldn’t wait to get to the rink and talk to Tina. She arrived as soon as the rink opened and found Tina in her office. "I'll do it." Dawn said. "The recital. I want to do it!"

Tina pushed her chair away from her desk and stared at Dawn for a moment, "Well, this is about as last minute as it gets," she remarked. "You know that you have to be here tonight by five-thirty?"

Dawn hadn’t realized she’d need to arrive so early. "I've got a Harvard Tea at three," Dawn said. It was a requirement of all prospective students to meet their future potential classmates. As well as the deans of their prospective fields of study.

"Then what are we talking about?" Tina asked impatiently.

"No its ok I'll make it." Dawn assured her.

Tina beckoned Dawn to follow her down the hall to the locker room. She opened a large metal trunk and began rummaging through the skating costumes inside. "I think most of these would cut off you circulation,” she decided, lifting out a too-small sequined leotard before tossing it back in.

Hands on her hips, she studied Dawn for a moment. “Come to my house at noon today,” she said. “One of my old things might work on you. That's assuming your sister doesn't have something?"

Dawn shook her head. "I don't think so. Not sure her stuff from when she was skating would fit anyways. I'll be there."

Dawn rushed back home to find Buffy waiting. "Tina wants me to come by her house at noon so she can give me something to wear for the recital."

"Then we'll stop by there on the way to Harvard. What time is the recital?" Buffy said.

Dawn sighed. "Five-thirty."

"Then we will have to leave early to get you there on time," Buffy said.

Dawn looked up Gen’s address in their online school directory and Buffy drove them over to the Harwoods’ house at noon. Buffy followed Dawn to the door as she rang the doorbell. A moment later Tina opened the door, and motioned for them to enter. Tina had pulled out several competitive-skating outfits and laid them out on the couch. "Choose which one you like that fits. You can keep it if you like."

Dawn nodded and picked up a couple of the outfits and went to try them on.

Buffy walked over and sat next to Tina, "I want to thank you for letting Dawn have one of your outfits."

"It is no problem." Tina said.

Dawn came out wearing a red skating outfit. She twirled so Buffy could have a look.

Buffy smiled. "I think that one will work, Dawnie."

Dawn smiled and went back in to get put her clothes on over the skating outfit.

Buffy looked back at Tina. "Five-thirty, right?"

"On the dot," Tina said with a slight nod.

"We'll be there. We may have to leave early from Harvard but that's not a problem. She wants to do this so I intend short of a disaster we will be there at five-thirty." Buffy said.

Dawn came back out and they left.

A couple hours later Buffy and Dawn walked up the steps of a mansion on the Harvard campus. Buffy looked at the outfit Dawn was wearing. "I know this is Harvard but couldn't you have chosen something a little less stuffy."

Dawn laughed. "I could always go in wearing the skating outfit. I bet that might make an impression."

Buffy smiled. "Maybe not the impression you intend to make though."

They went inside where the large room was already filled with many students and professors, all mingling and chatting pleasantly. A tall girl wearing a name tag that read _Penelope_ came over to say hi. Buffy smiled and told her that Dawn was interested in doing a triple major in Physics, Mythology and Ancient Languages.

"Physics Rocks!" Penelope cried. "In sophomore year you can join the Quantum Club. And that rocks because we get to compete against Cal Tech, M.I.T., and Stanford. Last Year our ion particle accelerator took first place! It rocked!"

"Sounds really … rockin'," Dawn commented. She looked at Buffy as if to say is this girl weird or what.

Buffy just smiled in return.

"If you have time right now, I can take you through the entire physical sciences syllabus," Penelope offered.

"While that would be nice,” Buffy said. “We have an appointment at five-thirty."

Penelope looked to Buffy. "Not another school is it?"

Buffy shook her head. "No it has to do with Dawn's physics project for her scholarship."


	6. Chapter 6

Buffy and Dawn pulled up outside the skating rink exactly at five-thirty and Dawn rushed inside and quickly pulled her clothes off to reveal the skating outfit.

By seven, the bleachers were packed with spectators, mainly the family and friends of the Snowplow Sam class. A panel of three United States Figure Skating Association judges sat at a table along the side of the rink, waiting to observe.

Dawn stood behind the boards with the rest of the class and Tina, ready to skate out. She turned briefly and saw Buffy sitting in the front row and suddenly got an attack of the nerves. She had no problem performing in front of others. But in front of Buffy was another matter entirely. Tina must have noticed how nervous Dawn had gotten in that second. “I told you,” she reminded Dawn. “It happens every time."

"What do you do?" Dawn asked, feeling helpless against the attack of nerves.

"Deep breaths," Tina advised.

The little kids skated out first and looked completely adorable in their costumes. They were amazing as they performed their routines, although Jeremy fell one time.

As Dawn watched them skate, she concentrated on her breathing, trying to keep it deep, slow, and calm as she prepared to go on. Finally, it was her turn to skate out onto the ice.

Dawn built speed as she went through the required elements that the kids had just done—single jumps, an axel, a lutz, a single toe loop. Dawn managed to hang on to all of them without falling, except that she did a clunky two-footed landing on her toe loop. Dawn hoped she could make up for it with a flip.

Summoning all her determination, she skated fast and jumped! She landed the single flip cleanly. The crowd applauded.

And then Dawn did something that surprised even her. She followed the single flip with a double flip!

The audience cheered, but none louder than Buffy. Buffy was right then proud of Dawn, of what she had accomplished in just two short months.

The little kids all skated out to the center of the rink while the crowd continued to applaud. Dawn joined them in take their bows as a class.

The judges sat at their table scribbling feverishly. They were assigning the pass or fails to the students.

Dawn and the kids skated off and went into the locker room. A moment later Buffy joined Dawn there. "Hey Dawnie, you did well."

Dawn blushed as Tina came in with the results. She handed them out without comment.

The bossy little girl from Dawn’s class, whose name was Lilly, cheered as she read her result. "Novice pass! Yes!" She turned to Dawn, smiling. "Dawn, how'd you do?"

"Fine, I guess," Dawn told her, reading her card. "It says junior pass."

Dawn was still studying her card when she realized it had suddenly gotten quiet.

Everyone in the locker room was staring at Dawn. The kids, Tina, Gen, Buffy—all of them were looking at her with shocked expressions. Buffy had known Dawn was good, but hadn’t realized that her baby sister was that good.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"You skipped two levels!" Lilly blurted. Dawn blinked hard at her. "That's where Gen and Nikki and Tiffany are."

Dawn looked at Buffy and then Tina, "Is it true that I'm on a junior level now?"

Buffy simply nodded.

"Yes, it's true," Tina confirmed.

"So if I … wanted to compete …" Dawn said.

Tina didn't even let Dawn finish the thought. "You can't," she said.

Buffy sighed and understood the reason Tina was trying to tell Dawn.

"Why not?" Dawn asked.

Tina took Dawn's arm and walked her away from the crowd as Buffy followed closely behind. "All that happened tonight was that the judges saw the same thing I've seen all summer – you've got some raw talent,” she told Dawn in a low, serious tone of voice. “But that's not enough to have a shot at the Regionals. You need a coach, a ballet teacher, choreographer, and private ice time. Nikki's parents took out a second mortgage just to put her through this. Tiffany's father works two jobs."

Dawn looked at Buffy who nodded. Buffy remembered what their parents had to do to let her train all those years ago.

Tina pointed down at Dawn's skates, which Dawn was still wearing. "Where did you get those skates?"

Dawn looked down at the skates and then up at Buffy. "They were Buffy's."

Tina looked at Buffy who nodded. "They're falling off your feet," she pointed out as she looked back at Dawn. "You need custom Harlicks—six hundred dollars minimum—and you need to have the blade sharpened every six weeks and—"

Tina saw how bummed Dawn looked. "I'm sorry,” she said. “It just is what it is. Believe me, competitive figure skating isn't something you do on a whim."

"How do you do it for Gen?" Dawn asked.

"Well, she saves on a coach and choreographer," Tina pointed out.

Dawn smiled. "Buffy can coach me."

Buffy sighed. “Dawn, you know that’s impossible. When would I have time? I already work a full-time job just to make ends meet. I wish I could coach you, I really do, but I just don’t have the time it would require.”

Dawn sighed and nodded.

The last weeks of summer flew by as Dawn scrambled to do all the things she’d neglected on her summer reading list and took the S.A.T. prep course. Before she knew it, it was September, time for her senior year of high school to begin.

On the very first day back at school, Dawn spotted Gen, Nikki and Tiffany standing together off to the side of the front entrance. "I heard you landed a double," Tiffany said to Dawn as Dawn passed them. Then she began to applaud.

Gen nudged Tiffany, as if to say, “Why are you talking to _her_?”

But Tiffany kept on, "It took me two years too do that," she revealed.

"Really?" Dawn asked.

The three of them began to move toward the front door. "So, I guess we'll see you," Nikki said.

"Well, no, you won't," Dawn replied, "not at the rink, I can't train with you guys."

"Why not?" Tiffany asked.

"Um, Buffy can't afford it," Dawn said. "Money is tight right now. That was why I was working at the snack bar all summer, too pay for the class."

Dawn expected them to walk off but, to her surprise, they fell into step with her as she entered the school. Even more surprising was what Gen said next. "Look I'll tell you something, okay? You don't know how lucky you are."

"Why am I lucky?" Dawn asked as the four of them continued walking into school and down the busy hallways.

"You're lucky to have a life," Gen said.

"You think I have a life?" Dawn asked.

"I know you do," Gen insisted. "You have TV time, friend time—"

Dawn thought about what Gen said for a moment and then nodded in agreement. In that regards she was lucky. More so than her sister had been at her age when she was the only Slayer. "But you get to skate all you want."

"More than I want," Gen corrected her. "I'd love to be you. You're free to do what you want on Saturday night—"

"You get to eat sugar," Tiffany added.

"Oh, boo hoo! Who cares about going out or about eating sugar," Nikki said. "Don't you just want to skate all the time?"

"No!" Tiffany and Gen answered at the same time, their voices overlapping.

Nikki studied them, shaking her head disdainfully. "What's the matter with you two? Are you insane?"

Dawn could see that Nikki meant it. Obviously Nikki loved the skating life. But Dawn was totally unprepared for what Gen and Tiffany were saying.

"If I bobble even one landing, nobody speaks to me all through dinner," Tiffany complained.

"Then stop bobbling," Nikki chided her. "Get a grip!" She turned on her heels and headed ff to her class alone.

"She's a good competitor," Tiffany said, watching her walk away.

"The best," Gen agreed.

They’d come to Dawn’s first-period classroom. "Well bye," she told Gen and Tiffany. "This is my physics class."

"Physics? Wow!" Gen said. "I can't even pass math."

"You never know till you try,” Dawn said. “By the way you're surprised I am taking physics? What do you think that project I was working on all summer was for?"

Gen just shrugged as Dawn entered the class.

Mr. Bast was Dawn’s teacher once again. After class, he asked Dawn to stay. He smiled as he took her report from his top drawer. "This is exactly what the scholarship committee is looking for."

"I'm finishing up the CD-ROM that goes with the report so they can see the results with a real skater," Dawn told him. "Well, not a real skater … It's me."

"I bet there are some pro skaters out there who wouldn't mind taking a look at his, either." Mr. Bast remarked.

"You're kidding," Dawn said.

"No, I'm not kidding," he assured her. "It seems like the kind of thing that could really help them up their game. And, just think – it's not even illegal."

Dawn smiled as that thought entered her mind. She could make a little money to pay for rink time by using her physics project to improve other skaters.

That evening as Dawn and Buffy ate dinner she broached the subject with Buffy. "Mr. Bast thought some pro skaters could use my physics project to improve their skating," Dawn said.

Buffy nodded. "I'm guessing you want my approval to do that? Maybe make some money I gather to pay for some rink time?"

"Yes, exactly," Dawn said.

"Of course you can, Dawn," Buffy said.


	7. Chapter 7

"She's back!" yelled Teddy as he walked up beside Buffy who stood at the railing in the bleachers.

"Physics!" Dawn told him happily as she skated the rink, preparing for a single flip. Tina was also in the bleachers watching Dawn. Dawn wanted to impress her and decided to do double the flip.

"She's been using her physics project to help some of the skaters. Tina agreed to give Dawn some rink time if she analyzed Gen’s skating moves," Buffy said as Dawn made the flip and landed a tad bit off. "Pull your arms in just a little, they threw you off."

Teddy looked at Buffy. "So you're training her?"

Buffy shook her head, "I don't have time to train her and work. I still have to provide a living for the two of us somehow. Normally I wouldn't even be here, except I had a day off from work."

When Dawn’s rink time was done, she went into the locker room. She was starting to unlace her skates when Nikki came rushing in. Dawn had asked if she could some of Nikki’s choreography in exchange for analyzing her skating.

"She said absolutely not," Nikki told Dawn. "She goes, 'The Jumping Shrimp does NOT share her choreography with the competition!'"

"The Jumping Shrimp?" Dawn asked.

"It's my trademark. Mom copyrighted it," Nikki revealed. "We're marketing plush shrimp dolls and everything. Anyway, I convinced her that I could teach you my last year's program. I mean, it's old, but who cares, right?"

Actually, Dawn cared – a lot. She didn’t want an old routine. Yet she knew with a little help from Buffy she could rework the routine and if she set it to new music … "Right," she agreed. "Who cares?"

A couple days later during Dawn's first session with Gen. Gen was having a lot of trouble landing a double axel and nothing would make her believe that a scientific formula would make any difference. But Tina insisted, so she gave it a try.

Dawn gave her some pointers that were based on principles of physics and analysis of the way she was performing the move. After listening, and viewing the computer image, Gen raced around the rink and then took off!

Up in the air Gen went for, then two revolutions. By doing it Dawn's way she gained the height she'd been lacking and she came down gracefully.

"It worked!" Dawn shouted happily.

"You told me it would," Gen reminded her. For the first time ever, Gen actually smiled at Dawn.

On the next Saturday afternoon as Dawn was cleaning up the snack bar kitchen, Gen came in and asked her if she wanted hang out with her. Dawn was shocked by the request, though she knew she shouldn't have been. Nikki, Tiffany, and Gen had all been pretty friendly to Dawn since the first day of school. So Dawn had said yes that she would hang out with Gen.

That evening Dawn and Gen ended up at a backyard party full of kids Dawn barely even knew. Gen dragged Dawn over to meet Kyle Dalton.

"Dawn, Kyle," Gen introduced them. "Kyle plays hockey, and Dawn, you skate. So you two have a lot in common. Have fun!"

Seeming satisfied that she’d left Dawn well connected, Gen rushed away. Dawn saw her melt into the arms of Brian, her boyfriend.

Dawn was starting to get the picture. She was the cover to get Gen out of the house so she could be with Brian.

"So, you skate, huh?" Kyle asked.

"Figure skate," Dawn answered.

"I wouldn't let the team hear this, but you guys could skate circles around us," Kyle said.

"But I'm not pushing a puck," Dawn pointed out.

"You should come to our next game," Kyle said.

Dawn was about to tell that she'd love to come watch him play—but she was suddenly distracted by a guy who was whooshing abover them on a zip-line that had been suspended across the backyard. "WOOOOOO!!!" he cheered as he zoomed past.

"Uh-oh, he's not going to make it," Dawn realized.

"Sure he will," Kyle disagreed.

Dawn shook her head, studying the guy, who continued to shout happily as he clutched the triangular blue handle as he rode on. "No," Dawn insisted. "Assuming his weight to be 150 pounds, and at that rate of descent, his projected trajectory brings him—"

Kyle and Dawn cringed as they heard a terrible crash right behind them. Turning, they saw that the guy had smashed right into the patio furniture, overturning two chairs and landing in a pinful-looking position underneath the table.

"It brings him right there," Dawn said to Kyle. "It was a simple V times M equals A miscalculation."

From Kyle’s bewildered expression it was clear he had no idea what Dawn was talking about. "You know," she added, trying to explain, "velocity times mass equals' acceleration. Physics."

Kyle slowly started backing away from Dawn, "I have to … um …" he stammered. "Uh … later," he said before hurrying away.

A group of _cool_ girls, that Dawn knew were Cordette wannabies, had witnessed the entire event and stood staring at her like she was the biggest loser of all time. "That was Kyle Dalton," one of them informed Dawn with chilly disdain.

"Word of advice," said another of them. "Don't ever talk again."

"Sorry," Dawn said. "I can't help it. When I get nervous I babble a little. Actually, I babble a lot. It's like a gear comes loose in my brain and just like one of those Planck diagrams of random particles colliding out of control—"

"Um … you're doing that babbling thing again," one of the girls pointed out, her lip curling into a scornful sneer.

"I think babbling is hot."

The three girls and Dawn turned at once to see who had spoken. Teddy walked up to Dawn and took her arm, walking her away from the crowd of jeering girls. "Thanks," Dawn said, sighing with relief. "Do they eat small rodents for breakfast?"

“I think they just chew grass,” he said, laughing.

Teddy and Dawn walked together into the house. "See I don't go to many parties," Dawn explained. "Well, no parties, really, at all, unless you count birthday parties—but who counts birthday parties? I mean, they're mandatory and they're usually mine or Buffy's. You can't count your own or your sister's party, can you?"

"Hey, Dawn, it's me," Teddy said gently. "You can stop now."

Dawn took a deep breath. "I can?" She asked.

Teddy nodded toward the girls who had just been taunting Dawn outside. "Don't let them get you nervous. You're prettier, smarter, and way cooler than all of them."

He grabbed a couple of sodas from an ice-filled bucket and handed Dawn one. "So, you're Gen's cover story for tonight," Teddy said as he and Dawn opened the cans. "That's usually my job."

"Why is it your job?" Dawn asked.

"Being Gen's brother isn't easy," Teddy answered.

"She's your sister?” Dawn cried, she’d never expected.

Teddy nodded. "Yeah."

Then Dawn realized something even more surprising. "You're Tina's son?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Teddy asked.

"I just thought… uh… wow…" Dawn said.

"You thought I was the help," Teddy supplied. "Well, I kind of am. Gen skates and I fix stuff. That rink was a pit when Mom bought it with her divorce money. I helped her bring it back. I did all the repair work, painting, the Zamboni." He smiled as he mentioned the Zamboni. "That's my favorite part. Ever since I was a kid I loved to take things apart and put them back together."

"That's your calling," Dawn commented.

"Calling?" Teddy asked.

"The thing you were born to do." Dawn explained.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Teddy said. "It's funny to think of myself as having a calling. Gen is the one with the talent. In our family the focus has always been on getting Gen to the Nationals."

"Just because you don't skate, you don't think you have any talent?" Dawn asked Teddy. "Don't you think you're worth something, too?"

"I don't know," Teddy admitted. "Am I?"

"I think you are," Dawn told him.

"So, for you, you're calling is the science stuff, I suppose." Teddy said, shifting focus back to Dawn.

Dawn shook her head. "I'm good at it, sure. But it's not what I want to do. I only am trying to get physics scholarship to pay for college. I really want to major in ancient languages and mythology."


	8. Chapter 8

Dawn worked with Gen, Nikki and Tiffany on their skating while she trained and studied ballet. Buffy watched knowing her sister wanted to do this but could tell at the same time Dawn had not been prepared for the rigorous schedule of training for Regionals. Buffy's first indications were when Dawn showed her, her grades one day.

"A C, Dawn? You've never gotten a C before. Well except for that time you were cutting classes after mom died." Buffy said.

Dawn let out a sigh. "I know Buffy. I promise to do better."

Buffy looked at her sister as she sat back in the chair. "Dawn I know you want to be in the Regionals and all. But if your grades slip much farther I'm going to have to put my foot down and say no more skating till I see an improvement in your grades. I know you don't want that."

"No I don't. I will do better. I promise." Dawn said.

Buffy smiles, "That's good."

Dawn did as she promised and worked harder on her schoolwork. Finally when the day of the Regionals had come she was excited to be going. She stood there looking at the skating outfit that Tina had given her.

Buffy came into Dawn's room with a small package, "Here I wanted to give you this." She handed the package to Dawn and smiled. "Mom gave it to me when I competed at Regionals."

Dawn took the package from her sister and opened it to find an ornate necklace. She looked up at Buffy and smiled, "It's beautiful. Help me put it on?"

Buffy nodded and took the necklace and went behind Dawn as her sister pulled her hair out of the way. She put the necklace on Dawn who then turned as she nodded in approval. "It looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you,” Dawn said with a smile. “So did you manage to get off work?"

Buffy shook her head, "No Dawn, I'm sorry. But I will have someone there videotaping both your long and short."

Dawn looked at her sister as she wondered which of their friends could have been in the area. "Who?" she asked.

"It's a surprise, Dawn." Buffy said.

Buffy then drove Dawn over to the Harwood Rink. As Dawn got out of the car she gave Buffy a quick hug and walked over to the van. Before getting in she turned to Buffy and waved.

Buffy smiled and mouthed, "Good luck." Dawn nodded and smiled as she drove off.

It took them several hours to reach the Westerly Ice Rink, where the competition was held. Nikki and her mother bragged the whole way about all the corporate sponsorships and _Jumping Shrimp_ marketing opportunities that would be coming Nikki's way. Tiffany's parents tried to outdo Nikki's mom claiming Tiffany would win ever better deals. Dawn was glad Buffy was not that way.

Gen and Dawn sat together in the van. Gen passed the time by giving Dawn advice and telling her about all the ways skaters tried to gain a psychological edge by playing _mind games_ on the other skaters.

"Watch this," Gen said. She turned around in her seat and spoke to Nikki. "Hey, Nik, everybody says you and me are going pick up first and second today."

Nikki made a face at Gen, not buying it. "Nice try," she scoffed.

"What was that all about?" Dawn asked Gen.

"It was a classic psych-out," Gen explained. "It softens up the competition, sets them up to think they don't have to go all out to win. Don't ever fall for it."

"Got it," Dawn said.

"And no matter what happens in the short program, even if you tank," Gen went on, "you just keep telling yourself it's only a third of the score. Never freak until after the long program."

"Freak after long," Dawn said, making a mental note. "Okay."

Gen sighed and shook her head, "I can't believe I'm giving away trade secrets," she said.

They finally arrived at the Westerly Rink and entered through the locker room. About a dozen girls between the ages of about twelve and seventeen were already busy stretching and walking through their programs with sneakers on.

Gen took Dawn's arm and nodded toward a girl wearing headphones. "That's Zoey Bloch," she whispered to Dawn, "also known as Skate Thief."

Zoey turned and glowered at Nikki, who was right behind them. "Hmm. It's the leaping lizard," she sneered as she pushed her headphones off her ears and onto her neck.

"Jumping Shrimp," Nikki corrected her icily.

Zoey's lip curled into a contemptuous grin. "Like _that's_ a step up."

"Don't get any closer to her, Nikki," Gen put in. "You don't want to lose your skates."

Zoey snorted with derision. "Like I'd need to steal her skates to win this thing—or some lame computer program, either."

Dawn turned toward Gen. "How'd she know about that?" Dawn asked.

"Her coach is Rasputin," Gen replied in a voice loud enough for Zoey to hear.

"Eat it, Harwood," Zoey snarled.

"Blow it out your –" Gen didn't get to finish because Tina swooped in and guided Gen away from the brewing fight.

Dawn found a locker and changed into the red skating dress Tina had given her. She was lacing her skates when Zoey came up and stood by the locker next to Dawn's. Dawn turned away, trying to pretend she hadn’t noticed her. "So you're the one without a coach," she said.

Once Zoey spoke, Dawn couldn't just ignore her, so she turned in her direction. "Heard you're pretty good," she said. "Why'd you start so late?"

Dawn blew her off with a flip remark. "I lost my watch," she replied, just wanting her to go away.

Zoey took a step back. "Hey, I just wanted to wish you luck," she said, insulted. "It's not easy going out there your first time."

Dawn felt bad. She hadn't done anything to her and she shouldn't been so rude. "Thanks," she said.

"You just gotta keep focused and be impressive," Zoey advised Dawn. "Set the groundwork for next year."

"Next year?" Dawn asked, wondering why she couldn’t win this year.

"There's no way you're gonna place this year," Zoey went on. "The judges have already ranked this thing in their minds. The skate's just a show for the fans."

Dawn narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Nobody says it's fair," Zoey continued. "They just don't know you." She glanced down at the skates Buffy had given Dawn. "Nice skates," she said, tossing the remark over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Another classic psych-out," Gen said, coming alongside Dawn. "I heard what she said. It was the old … _You've already lost so why bother trying? …_ It's an old routine."

It was finally time for the first event, the Ladies Short Program. Dawn stood behind the boards watching nervously awaiting her turn to skate. She glanced at the audience trying to find who Buffy said would be taping her. She didn't see anyone she recognized. She turned her attention to the other skaters as she watched them go out. First there was Zoey, then Nikki, Tiffany and finally Gen.

When Gen returned from doing her short program she seemed to Dawn to be emotionless. Tina met Gen at the boards. "Okay we're in," she said. "You're definitely in the top four."

"You're going to the Sectionals!" Teddy cheered, squeezing Gen's shoulders.

A moment later it was Dawn's turn. "Our next skater is Dawn Summers from Millbrook, Connecticut," the announcer boomed over the public address system."

Dawn reached the center of the ice and looked into the bleachers at the crowd. That's when she saw her. Dawn smiled and waved at Willow, who waved back and held up the camcorder to show Dawn she was ready.

Dawn took a deep breath to steady her nerves. The program music she had selected began and Dawn glided into her first jump—a double flip. Right away Dawn knew that her launch was a bit stiff. As she came down, her right ankle gave out, throwing her off balance. Dawn was pretty sure that the bad condition of her skates was partly to blame for her not landing the jump.

She got back up and got back into her routine, she picked up speed until she felt ready to launch a double axel. The jump was high and she landed it cleanly. Dawn looked at the bleachers for only a second but saw that Willow was smiling at her.

Dawn heard some of the audience clapping. The clapping energized Dawn and she decided that she would go for a jump she had never attempted before, a triple-double combination.

She flew into the air, climbing higher and higher. The moment her blade touched the ice again, she knew it was going to come out all right. She skated out of the jump cleanly, her heart hammering.

As she came to the end of her routine she skated off the ice feeling like she really had shot at placing in the top four. There waiting for her was Willow smiling, "That was great, Dawnie."

"Thanks Will," Dawn said. "So which of you set this up?"

Willow smiled, "Buffy of course. But I was going to come even if she hadn't asked."

It seemed to Dawn like forever before she got her score for the short program. Her technical scores were pretty good and her scores for artistry were even better. Dawn noticed she was placed behind Gen for fifth place.

"Fourth," Gen said, reading her score.

"We'll take it," Tina commented.

Dawn knew her disappointment at being in fifth place showed on her face, because Gen came over and put her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Come on—fifth, that's great!" she said kindly. "If you skate a clean program tonight, you can move up and knock me out of fourth."

"But fifth doesn't go to Sectionals," Dawn reminded her.

"I'll take care of myself," Gen assured Dawn, walking away.

Dawn and Willow went and sat on a bench. Dawn looked at her skates and shook her head, "I don't know how I am going to get through the long program with my skates in the condition they are."

Willow sighed. "You'll manage somehow, Dawnie."

Tina sat down beside Dawn and Willow on the bench. "Dawn you almost lost a boot out there," she said.

"I know," Dawn admitted, pulling of the skate. "It's giving out. It kind of surprises me they lasted ten years."

Willow blinked, she hadn’t known that Dawn hadn’t had her own pair of skates. "I thought you had your own, Dawn. You telling me those are Buffy's? From before you and her moved to Sunnydale?"

Dawn simply nodded.

"I think you'd better come with me," Tina said, getting up. Dawn pulled off the other skate and she and Willow hurried to follow her. Together they walked down a long hallway until they arrived at the rink's Pro Shop.

Inside, Tina asked Dawn for her shoe size and then said something to the salesman. He disappeared into a back room. When reappeared, he had a pair of skate boots in a box. Tina directed Dawn to sit and the salesman put them on Dawn's feet. "How do they feel?" she asked.

Willow watched with fascination. _What was this woman's deal,_ she wondered.

"Great," Dawn said. "But I can't accept these."

"You can work it off," Tina replied. "I really just can't stand to see you held back this way." She turned to the salesman, handing him her credit card. "And we'll need a pair of blades."

Willow shook her head frowning. She wished she had remembered to bring the Watcher's Council credit card that Giles had issued her. She was sure he would have approved of the purchase.

"I'll sharpen them right up," he told Tina.

Dawn was overwhelmed by Tina's kindness. "Tina … I … I just can't believe—"

Tina held up her hand and cut Dawn off. "No fawning."

"No," Dawn agreed. "Just … thanks."

Tina nodded and walked off. Willow sat down next to Dawn, "Dawnie. Are you sure you can't skate in Buffy's old skates?"

Dawn let out a sigh. "Pretty sure. I don't think they will last long in the long program. Why?"

"I just got a weird vibe from that woman, Tina. When she offered to get you brand new skates," Willow said.


	9. Chapter 9

There Dawn was, poised at the center of the rink in her new skates, ready for her performance in the Ladies Long Program to begin – ready as she'd ever be anyway.

As the music began and Dawn started to skate, picking up speed in preparation for her first jump, a double axel. She took off, tucked in tight, and spun two and a half times.

But when Dawn touched down, she suddenly felt as if her feet were on fire and her ankles were being crushed. The new skates were stiff; the boots didn't bend or give at all.

The crowd gasped as Dawn lost control of her landing, wobbling horribly. It took all of Dawn's willpower to hold on to the landing and not fall over completely. Up in the bleachers Willow frowned and began muttering a spell rapidfire under her breath. She was sure that Dawn had been injured.

Regaining her foot and composure, Dawn continued. It was then she noticed that Willow no longer had the camcorder in her hands and she could see that Willow was saying something. Dawn felt the pain in her feet lessen as she concentrated on her next jump. It would be the most difficult one in the routine, the triple flip.

Dawn dug her pick into the ice and leapt into the air. She turned—one, two, three times. The searing pain returned as Dawn came down. Willow's spell was no longer helping to manage it. Dawn managed a perfect landing despite the pain.

The crowd exploded with applause!

Dawn smiled despite her tortured feet. The hardest part was over. All that was left was to survive the rest of the routine. Finally Dawn skated off with the sounds of loud applause all around her.

Suddenly Willow was next to her carrying her purse and camcorder. She grabbed Dawn and helped her into the locker room. As Willow helped Dawn take off the skates, the results were posted. Zoey was in first place, Nikki was in second place, Tiffany was in third and Gen was in fourth.

Gen screamed with delight when she saw she'd hung on to fourth place. She hugged Nikki and Tiffany. "We're going to the Sectionals!" she cried.

Dawn watched them all sadly. Willow went over to check the results and nodded at what she saw.

Zoey was at a nearby locker changing into her street clothes and she turned when Dawn groaned in pain. "Are those new?" she asked, nodding at the new skates.

"Yeah," Dawn answered as Willow came back.

"You held on to fifth place, Dawnie." Willow said.

Dawn looked at Willow and nodded that she had heard.

"Are you crazy?" Zoey cried. "You can't compete on new skates! They take a minimum of ten days to break in. Everybody knows that!"

Dawn was confused. "But Tina didn't tell me—"

"You mean Tina whose robot daughter almost didn't make the Sectionals because of you?" Zoey sneered.

Willow frowned. "I knew there was something off about that woman. Dawn you wait here. I'm going to go call Buffy and have her come pick you up. You're not riding back with that woman." She turned and headed out of the locker room.

"Typical Tina Harwood," Zoey continued. "This is just like what happened in Calgary."

Dawn was now even more confused. What was she talking about?

"You don't know anything, do you?” Zoey said, amused by Dawn's ignorance. "They kicked her out." She slung her backpack over her shoulder. "You may want to reconsider that no-coach thing." She then sauntered from the room.

Looking around, Dawn spotted Gen, Teddy, and Tina all standing together. Dawn was close to tears, but she wouldn't let them see her cry. She got up and walked over and confronted Tina. "Are you happy about my feet?" Dawn asked.

Tina stayed cool. "I'm sorry; Dawn, but your old skates were a mess."

"You bought her _new_ skates?" Gen asked her mother in a voice filled with disbelief.

"Oh, like you didn't know?" Dawn shouted.

"I didn't!" Gen cried.

"I'm an idiot!" Dawn said to Gen. "And you're a little horror!"

"Don't say that to her," Teddy defended his little sister.

"Oh, right," Dawn sneered, "like you weren't part of this, too."

Teddy stepped back as though Dawn had slapped him. "How could you think that?" he yelled.

"Because it's true!" Dawn shouted right back at him. "Your whole family set me up."

Gen and Teddy looked shocked, but Tina didn't even attempt to fake it. Her face was stony. She knew Dawn had figured it out.

Dawn stared at them and shook her head sadly. "What kind of people are you?” she asked tearfully.

Sometime later Buffy pulled up next to Dawn and Willow outside the rink. They could tell Buffy was angry, in a I want to kill a vampire kind of way. She got out of the car and looked at Dawn, "Get in." She marched over to Tina. "How dare you."

Tina looked back at Buffy, "Excuse me?"

"How dare you injure my sister? I'm going to have to take her to a doctor to get her feet treated because of you." Buffy said.

"Dawn doesn't have what it takes," Tina said. "She doesn't have the drive to do what needs to be done to be a winner."

Buffy grabbed Tina's arm, who grimaced from the strength of her grip. "You bitch. She's far better than you are. Yeah I know what happened, Tina. Why you got kicked out. The internet is a wonderful thing nowadays. You will pay for Dawn's medical bills. Those new skates you bought her are now free. She's not repaying you for them. That's the least you can do for hurting her."

Tina was going to object when Buffy squeezed and she grimaced again. "Fine," she said as Buffy released her and she got into the van.

Buffy walked back over to her car and got in. She started the engine and drove off. "I guess a leopard never really changes its spots," she said.

Dawn looked at her sister. "What are you talking about?"

Buffy sighed and looked in the rearview mirror at Willow who simply nodded. "I did some research on Tina, Dawn. She was kicked out after a disaster at the Calgary Olympics. She somehow injured another skater." Dawn looked at Buffy with shock. "I didn't mention it to you because I like to think everyone deserves a second chance. But, apparently, someone like Tina just can't change."

Dawn sighed. "Well I don't think you have to worry about me going back to the rink anytime soon. I'm going to focus on my interview at Harvard next week."

Buffy looked quickly at Dawn before returning her attention to the road. "Are you sure that's what you want, Dawnie?" she asked, but got no response from Dawn.

On Sunday Dawn gazed out at the pond that was visible from her bedroom window and thought about how she loved skating on it. Before she had started on her physics project she had just skated for the pure joy of it. There were no blistered feet, no nasty competitions, no betrayal, just the wonderful freedom of sailing along on the ice.

In the living room Buffy was worried about Dawn. The doctor's had said her feet would heal that all she had was blisters from the new skates. Buffy had been happy to hear that, so much so that she had decided not to send the bill to Tina after all. Still she knew Dawn was not her cheerful self. What had happened the day before had hurt Dawn emotionally she was sure.

Monday came too quickly and Dawn had to go back to school. She dreaded the prospect of seeing Gen there. But Gen caught up to her as Dawn walked to physics class.

"Go away," Dawn told Gen, quickening her pace.

"I didn't know about it," Gen insisted, grabbing Dawn's arm. "And there's something you have to know."

Dawn stopped and faced her. "What could you possibly have to tell me that I would want to hear?" Dawn asked.

"I'm done with skating," Gen said. "I told my mother yesterday. As you can guess, she majorly freaked. But this has been coming for a long time. I've had to face the truth. I just don't have the talent that it takes."

"How can you quit after all the work you've put in?" Dawn asked.

"I want to quit," Gen insisted. "I want to stop missing school because I'm too busy practicing my skating. I want to go to the Homecoming Dance and I want to go with Brian. And I want to stop feeling like an idiot for flunking math because I don't have time to learn it. I want to eat a big, fat, greasy hamburger with double fries and to finally know the shows on TV that the kids are talking about."

"If I drop out, you're ranked next," Gen added. "You can go to the Sectionals. It should be your slot anyways."

Dawn shook her head. "No," Dawn told her. "Thanks, Gen, but tomorrow's my Harvard interview. _That's_ my slot. That's what I should be doing."

Gen shot a doubtful look. She like Buffy didn't believe that one bit. "Are you sure about that?" she questioned.

Dawn nodded, although she wasn't sure of anything right then.

The next day Buffy drove them to Harvard early in the morning. Through the entire ride Dawn kept asking herself questions she thought the interviewer might ask. Buffy even asked her a couple questions as well.

Buffy had decided to look around the campus while Dawn was in her interview. So Dawn had gone in alone and was now sitting in front of the interviewer, Chip Healy. He had a folder in front of him on the desk. He quickly scanned the pages and then looked up at Dawn with a smile. "So, you're up for the Stoller Scholarship," he remarked. "This skating project you did for them is very ambitious."

"Well, I was able to prove some of my theories," Dawn said.

Mr. Healy nodded, seeming genuinely interested. "Many scientists become their own guinea pig. Can you tell me how this depth of research affected you thinking?"

"What I learned was that physics really can explain a lot about a sport, like speed and balance and the arc of a spin. It just can't… it can't explain how skating makes you feel." Dawn said.

"And how's that?" Mr. Healy asked.

"There's a definite exhilaration," Dawn began." I found it quite thrilling. It was a rewarding project and the guinea pig angle added a dimension I… uh… hadn't anticipated."

Dawn stared at him a moment, as she listened to her own words on a sort of mental instant replay. She knew right then and there what she should be doing—she wanted to skate!

"I don't think I can come here," Dawn blurted, suddenly standing. "I'm sorry I wasted your time. I'm sorry."

"Ms. Summers, you know we won't reschedule," Mr. Healy said.

Dawn nodded. "I know. If I ever change my mind later I know I will have to reapply. But I think what I need to be doing right now is skating."

Mr. Healy nodded in understanding. "Then I wish you the best of luck. And maybe one day I will see you on campus."

Dawn turned and walked out the door pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to call Buffy and let her know she was ready to go.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Dawn sat down beside Ann in the lunchroom. "Are you talking to me?" she asked.

“I'm not the one who stopped talking," Ann said coolly, not looking at Dawn as she ate her sandwich.

"If I could've made more time for you—" Dawn said.

"You would've," Ann cut Dawn off. "Yeah, yeah."

Dawn had taken their friendship for granted the past few months—but that was because she assumed Ann and her were such good friends that a little time apart wouldn't kill the friendship.

"I hear you blew off Harvard," Ann said after a few minutes of silence.

"I want to go to the Sectionals." Dawn told Ann.

Ann stared at Dawn with an amazed lack of understanding. "So, that's everything now?" she asked.

"I wish it wasn't," Dawn admitted. "Ann, I don't know what—"

Ann clamped her hand down on Dawn's wrist, squeezing slightly. "Don't," she insisted. "Don't look to me for help. I'm still totally mad at you. I don't even know if we're friends anymore. You've got your new friends to talk to."

"I don't," Dawn told Ann. "I can't go to the rink."

Ann looked at Dawn, not understanding. "So, how are you going to practice?" she asked.

Dawn didn't know.

Two days later Dawn stood looking at the lake, the same lake that she had been skating when Buffy had praised her on how good she was getting.

Buffy came out of the house and stood next to Dawn. "So what are you going to do?"

"Well I'm going to break these skates in, and I guess go on from there." Dawn said in response.

Buffy nodded. "I can't train you full time, you know that. I can't really even train you part time. I will offer what little assistance I can, Dawn."

Dawn smiled and hugged her older sister. Ever since Sunnydale she and Buffy had grown closer. Buffy still had yet to show her the world like she had promised but Dawn didn’t care. For as far she cared she saw the world in Buffy. "Thanks, Buffy," she said as she sat down on the bench that Buffy had set out by the lake the winter before so that Dawn would have a place to put on her skates. Once she had them on she stepped onto the ice, her feet once again burned. "I will be glad when I have these broke in."

"You are protecting your feet I hope?" Buffy asked with a slight tone of concern.

"Yeah," Dawn said as she looked at her older sister. "I have my feet bandaged at the sensitive spots. And I am wearing several layers of socks. The discomfort is bearable." She tried a lap on the ice and stumbled some. "I forgot how bumpy lake ice is compared to rink ice. I'm not used to it anymore."

Buffy watched and nodded. "Take it easy, then. We don't want you going to the hospital, ok."

"Ok," Dawn said as she built speed and jumped a triple. She came down clean, and stumbled on some ridges of ice, coming down hard on her right side.

Buffy was there in an instant. "Let me see," she said as Dawn turned to face her. She examined her younger sister and found only a scrape. "Just a scrape you will be fine."

Just then the sisters looked looked up as they heard a low hum.

"Do you hear that?" Dawn asked.

Buffy nodded as she looked around, using her slayer enhanced hearing to find out where the sound was coming from. Then she saw it a huge machine slowly rising over a nearby hill. "Over there," she said motioning toward the hill.

Dawn turned to look at what Buffy had seen. At first she didn't even know what she was looking at. Then suddenly both she realized what it was.

It was the Zamboni—and Teddy was driving it.

Dawn and Buffy stood and watched as Teddy steered it towards them. He stopped at the edge of the pond. "How did you know?" Dawn asked as she and Buffy walked over to meet him.

Teddy grinned, clearly pleased at the amazed expression on Dawn's face. "I didn't think you'd just give up," he explained, "which meant you be out here bumping it out. Besides your sister called me."

Dawn looked at Buffy who nodded. She then pushed Dawn towards Teddy and the Zamboni. "Teddy," Dawn began. "I've been trying to find some way to apologize to you for the things I said."

"I've got some ideas about how you can do that," Teddy said with a smile. He moved the Zamboni onto the pond. "Do you like your ice medium smooth or glassy?" he asked as he drove forward.

Buffy pulled Dawn off the ice as Teddy drove the Zamboni. "You called him?" Dawn asked.

Buffy smiled. "Yes. I figured you wanted to say you were sorry. Besides I knew you would never be able to skate out here. As you yourself said you're not used to lake ice anymore. Teddy owed me a favor anyways."

"A favor?" Dawn asked. "What favor?"

Buffy simply smiled. "You'll find out when Teddy is ready to tell you."

When Teddy finished the pond it was glistening thing of beauty. If Dawn closed her eyes as she sailed out onto it, she could have imagined she was back at the rink.

Teddy came down from the Zamboni seat as Dawn performed her routine for him. With the ice smoothed out, nothing could stop her. When she'd spun to a finish, Dawn smiled at him, feeling like she'd never stop smiling.

Buffy knew at that moment she should leave the two of them alone as she headed back into the house.

Teddy watched for a second as Buffy left and he nodded to himself as he came out onto the ice beside Dawn, clapping.

"I'm usually so shy," Dawn admitted. "How come I can do a whole performance in front of you?" she asked.

"You let people see you when you skate," Teddy said, looking into Dawn's eyes.

Dawn looked down, but Teddy lifted her chin with his finger. "Don't worry," he said. "It's a nice view."

And then Teddy did something that took Dawn's breath away—he kissed her.

Buffy smiled from the window as she watched. Her smile quickly disappeared when she saw a car pull up the driveway. She knew it couldn't be anyone she knew. And Ann likely would have ridden her bike over. Then she saw who sat in the driver's seat, Tina. Buffy rushed out of the house and met Teddy and Dawn as they came up to the car.

"Mom, look," Teddy began, "I took the Zamboni. I know that was way wrong and probably illegal, but I kept off the main roads. I only wanted to help Dawn out because I thought _somebody_ owed her."

Dawn looked at Teddy amazed that he stood up to his mother like that. "And, you know, none of this would have happened if this sport weren't filled with nut jobs!" He continued.

"I'm not here about the Zamboni," Tina said calmly.

"You're not?" Teddy cried, shocked.

"Just make sure it gets back in one piece," Tina insisted.

Buffy frowned. "Then mind telling me why you’re trespassing on private property?"

"I came to talk to Dawn," Tina said, looking between Buffy and Dawn. "I want to train you for the Sectionals."

"What?" Dawn asked with disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

"I have to agree with Dawn," Buffy said as she glared at Tina. "What makes you think I would allow you to train my sister?"

Tina's eyes held Buffy's as she spoke. "Teddy can smooth out the ice all he wants, but he can't smooth out her skating—which, if he's honest, he'll tell you is all over the place. Not a chance! I mean no offense to you Ms. Summers but you work a full time job you don't have the time to train Dawn. Not the way she should be trained, anyways."

To Buffy and Dawn's surprise, Teddy didn't seem angry with Tina. "She's right, Dawn," he said. "You can't win."

"Not without me," Tina added.

Buffy sighed, knowing what Dawn wanted to hear. "Tell her what happened at Calgary, Tina."

"I had an unfortunate warm-up before my short program. I collided with another skater and she got hurt," Tina told Dawn. "There was talk because I'd been chasing her scores for years but no one could prove a thing."

"But was it on purpose?" Dawn insisted on knowing.

Tina's expression grew very hard, even for Tina. "Look, I paid my dues," she said defensively. "They threw me out and by the time they considered reinstating me. I was twenty-six and it was too late."

Dawn looked at Buffy and noticed her sister was feeling the same thing, sympathy—despite the fact they both didn’t trust the woman.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could relive that moment and do it differently," Tina added.

"Are you really sorry?" Dawn pressed Tina. "Or do you just want me to think you are so I'll train with you?"

"I'm not going to beg," Tina replied.

"I'll think about it," Dawn said. That was for sure! She knew she wouldn't be able to think about anything else until she'd decided. And very likely Buffy would push her to make a decision.

"I thank you, Tina. We will give you _our_ answer in a day or two." Buffy said.

Tina nodded and got back in her car and drove off.

The next day Dawn sat with Buffy in the dining room of their house discussing what Tina had said the day before.

"Okay let's look at this from both sides," Buffy said. "On the one side we both don't trust Tina. She injured your feet with those skates. If I had been there I would have told you that you can't skate for at least 10 days in new skates, not till the boots are broken in. But Tina took advantage of the fact you didn't know."

Dawn let out a sigh. "On the other side. You yourself said you can't train me. You have to put food on our table somehow, right? And Tina is right on one thing I need a coach. I'd prefer it to be you, Buffy. But since it can't be …"

"I know, Dawn. Which I think is why you should tell her yes." Buffy said. "When you place at Sectionals maybe we can get a sponsor and I can cut back on my hours at work to train you."

Dawn nodded as she got up and walked to the kitchen phone, picked it up and pressed in Tina's office number at the rink. "Tina." She heard Buffy pick up the extension in her room. "The answer is yes."

"That's from both of us at least for now, Tina." Buffy said. "If Dawn comes home hurt again. It's over, ok? I was generous this time; I didn't send you the doctor's bill."

"I understand, Ms. Summers," Tina said. "You have my word that Dawn will come home every day after practice, maybe a little exhausted but in otherwise the same shape she left your house in. Now Dawn I want you here bright and early at five-thirty in the morning. And get plenty of rest; you're going to need it."


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Buffy drove Dawn down to the rink since she didn't have to be at work till eight that morning. They found Gen in the bleachers and sat beside her. She was watching Tina skate out on the ice, who was in the middle of doing an amazing spiral.

"She doesn't do it very much anymore," Gen said.

"She must have been great," Dawn commented, truly impressed.

Buffy smiled as she thought back to her Regionals, when she had competed against Tina. "The one and only time I competed against her back home. She was amazing."

"Whether you like it or not," Gen said, "she's the best. No offense to you Ms. Summers of course."

Tina spun to a stop and noticed Dawn sitting in the bleachers. "When I say five-thirty, I do not mean five thirty-three!" she barked.

Gen turned to Dawn with a shrug. "It's your torture now. Why am I out of bed?"

Teddy appeared at the top of the stairs, "Hey, Dawn—" he called, hurrying down towards her.

"And NO distractions!" Tina shouted. Teddy and Dawn looked at each other, wishing they could have just a minute together. "Both of you know exactly what I'm talking about!" she added.

"Yeah, I know," Teddy said with a resigned sigh.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You better get out there, Dawn. Don't worry I will talk to her later. There will be concessions on her training you. I'm not going to do to you what I had to go through after we moved to Sunnydale."

Dawn looked at her older sister and nodded knowing what she was talking about. Buffy hadn't had much in the way of a social life. She hung out the Bronze with Willow and Xander and saw Angel occasionally. But that had been the extent of her social activities. She had to give up so much to be a Slayer including a life of her own. Especially after Dawn, herself, had come into the picture and their mother had died. Buffy had then sacrificed everything for her. Dawn put on her skates and got on the ice.

Gen turned to Buffy. "Mom showed me you're long and short at your Regionals. You were pretty good. You should talk to mom about working here. Mom has been saying that she could use some help training the skaters. You would have to ask mom how much you would make of course. But it can't be any worse than what you would be making now. Plus you could take an active hand in training Dawn."

Buffy thought about what Gen had said and then nodded. Gen was right a job like this would be perfect for her. She could help to train Dawn and still make enough of a living to support her and her sister. And then an idea came into her head, a way of insuring she could put food on the table and still train Dawn.

While Dawn trained, Buffy slipped out and went to her car pulling out her cell phone. She dialed Giles number at the Watcher's Council.

Giles picked up on the first ring. "International Watcher's Council, Rupert Giles speaking."

Buffy smiled. "Hey Giles."

"Buffy. Now this is quite a surprise," Giles said. "To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?"

"I need to ask a favor," Buffy said.

"Of course. Anything for you Buffy." Giles replied.

Buffy let out a sigh not sure if she wanted to really ask. "I want to borrow a hundred thousand dollars."

"For what Buffy? You're not in trouble are you?" Giles asked.

"No, nothing like that, Giles," Buffy said. "Willow told you about Dawn skating right?”

“Yes,” Giles said.

“I can’t train her as it sits right now and work to put food on the table. And I do want to train Dawn. So I had an idea how I could train Dawn and still put food on our table. I want to offer the owner of the rink she's training at the money to become a partner. This way I can quit my job and help to train Dawn, and still have an income coming in."

Giles took a few moments to think it over. "I think we can do that, Buffy. Don't worry about repaying it. We'll consider it backpay for your years in Sunnydale. While I have you on the phone. Is Dawn still going to college?"

"Not right away,” Buffy said. “Probably once she's done skating."

"Then you are aware that Dawn has a full scholarship to any school she wants to attend courtesy of the Watcher's Council. The only stipulation of course is once she graduates she works for us for a minimum of one year as a Watcher." Giles said.

Buffy's eyes went wide; she hadn’t known that Giles was going to offer Dawn a scholarship. "No I wasn't aware, Giles. I had her applying for a physics scholarship because I couldn't afford to pay for it."

"I thought I had told you, my apologies Buffy. You don't have to worry about her education. It's the least I can do for my _daughters_." Giles said.

Buffy had always known that Giles had considered her like a daughter to him. But this was the first time he had actually said it to her. "Thanks, Giles." She hung up the phone just as Dawn came running out and hopped in to the car.

"Wow that was exhausting. You missed the session, you know? Why were you out here?" Dawn asked.

Buffy smiled. "Just needed to talk to someone. Well I better get you to school." She dropped Dawn off at school and then drove back to the rink. She called in to work and told them she needed a personal day. She then walked into the rink and Tina's office.

"Ms. Summers, I didn't expect to see you back today," Tina said.

"I was talking to Gen this morning and she informed me you needed someone to help train your skaters," Buffy said.

Tina looked at Buffy for the longest time before finally speaking up, "That is correct. Are you applying for the job?"

"Yes and No. Here's the deal. I want to become a full partner in the rink. I'm willing to offer you a hundred thousand dollars." Buffy said before smiling at Tina's astonished look.

"Why would you want to do that? After what I did to Dawn, you've been very much … I won't say you hated me … but you don't trust me. How could you stand to be partnered with someone you don’t trust?" Tina asked.

"Because I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Besides this way I can quit my job. Come here help you to train the skaters, teach some classes, and help to train Dawn while making some money to pay bills." Buffy said.

Tina thought about it for a moment, "Actually I think that is a good idea. I had been thinking along similar lines myself. Well not the partner part of it, but offering you a job. But with the amount of money you're throwing around there how can I say no. I'll take $75,000. You keep the other $25,000 for Dawn's skating expenses. Since you will be a partner we won't worry about my fee for training her."

"Good. Now I will get you the money as soon as I receive the check from my backer." Buffy paused for a moment before continuing. "He's a good friend and sort of a father figure since my own Dad left so I trust he will get me the money. I want this to remain a surprise, okay. So let's not tell Dawn till Sectionals."

Tina nodded. "Okay. Anything else?" she asked.

"Actually there is one more thing." Buffy said. "Teddy."

Tina frowned. "What about my son?"

"He wants to date, Dawn. I have no objections. When she's training at the rink of course no distractions. After she goes home though she can see him. You see I had a night job in high school and through college and after. I had it hard having any sort of stable relationship. I don't want that for Dawn."

Tina thought for a moment, she didn't like it. Teddy could be a distraction for Dawn. But if she didn't consent, Buffy could take her money and Dawn and go to another rink and find another coach. "Deal. But while she is training he cannot be a distraction. So if I have him here working on something okay. Otherwise…"

Buffy shook her head, "No I think it will help her if she has her own fan section. She already has Gen and I. Teddy should also be allowed to cheer on his girlfriend."

Tina sighed. "Okay. But he stays in the bleachers. It's okay to have someone cheering for you. But I will not allow him to distract her. May I ask what she intends to do about college?"

"We really haven't talked about it since she decided she wanted to go to Sectionals. I think she wants to skate for now, then when the time comes go to college," Buffy said.


	12. Chapter 12

Dawn put in so many hours of practice that she couldn't even count them; but now months after she'd begun to train with Tina, she was finally at Sectionals.

As Dawn did her warm-up out on the ice with the other skaters, she looked up to the announcer's booth high above her. She could hear the words of the announcers over the public address system.

"Welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the New England Regional Ladies Short Program," Turner Banks announced. "I've got to say, from the looks of the practice session I'm seeing down on the ice right now, these ladies are definitely fired up!"

"That's right, Turner," Michelle Kwan agreed. "They have come to compete!"

Turner Banks continued to talk over the PA system. "Some of you might remember the controversy surrounding last year's competition, when first-place contender Chantal DeGroat's skate disappeared from her locker right before the long program. Because of that, she skated poorly and fell out of medal contention, leaving rock 'n' roll bad girl Zoey Block to skate away with the gold."

Dawn remembered that Gen had told her she thought Zoey Block was the one who stolen Chantal Degroat's skate. Dawn turned her attention and concentrated on her routine. After all the months of practice, her skates no longer hurt. In fact, when they were on they felt so natural they were like a part of her foot.

Dawn's mind was on her footwork when another skater, whooshed past, going backwards. She darted out of the path of the oncoming skater just in time to avoid a collision. She'd been way to close.

Instinctively, Dawn looked to Tina. Tina had seen what happened, and nodded at Dawn. Her look said: _Be careful out there._

Glancing into the bleachers, Dawn saw that she had her own small fan section. Gen and Ann sat together, talking, and even smiling at each other. Teddy sat next to Gen and waved when he saw her looking at him. Dawn noticed Buffy wasn't there and there was three seats, along with Buffy's, marked reserved. She wondered where Buffy had gone that morning. When Dawn woke up Buffy had already left the house leaving Dawn a note telling her she would see her at Sectionals later.

Finally it was time for the competition to begin. Dawn along with the other skaters skated off the ice and headed for the warm-up room where they could watch the performances in the rink on a closed-circuit TV.

Zoey skated first. "This girl skates all out," Turner Banks commented, "and the crowd is just rockin' out!"

Tiffany was the next to skate. "When Tiffany is on, she's probably the most graceful skater in this entire competition," Michelle Kwan remarked. "And she is definitely on today," she added as Tiffany went into an incredible spin.

Chantal DeGroat stunned the audience next with an awesome triple jump. "She wants that gold!" Turner Banks said enthusiastically.

Dawn stood behind the boards while Nikki skated. She watched as Nikki performed, she had more than earned her reputation as the Jumping Shrimp. "This little dynamo has been landing massive jumps lately," Turner Banks noted.

Finally it was Dawn's turn and she skated out on the ice. "The word newcomer doesn't even begin to describe Dawn Summers," Turner Banks told the crowd as Dawn headed for the center of the rink.

"She's never performed in any skating competition anywhere until this season," Michelle Kwan added. "She's definitely a skater to keep your eye on."

"It's interesting to note she is also the only skater here today to have two coaches." Turner Banks said.

Dawn looked up startled. 'Did he just say two coaches,' Dawn wondered. She didn't have much time to think about it as just then that the music began. She could hardly think but she had the feeling her routine was going well. She heard applause when she landed a clean triple-double combination.

Dawn couldn't tell how her performance had compared to the others, but she skated off happy, feeling she'd done the best she could. She would just have to wait to find out if it had been good enough.

That moment soon came while Tina and Dawn waited in the kiss-and-cry area.

Dawn was thrilled to get 4.9s and 5.2s. There was even one 5.3. "And one four-point-seven," Tina pointed out. "You're in the game, that's all," she said.

Dawn unlaced her skates and pulled them off. Tina tossed them in a locker and went to lock them up, only to discover there was no lock. "The security in here is lousy as ever," she muttered as she slammed the locker door shut.

All the skaters gathered in the lounge to hear Turner Banks announce how they'd placed. Zoey was first, Nikki was second—and Dawn was third.

Gen rushed into the lounge and hugged Dawn. "You pulled it out, girl!" she cried.

"It's only the short program," Dawn said, reminding Gen of what she'd told her.

"I lied," Gen admitted, laughing. "If you mess up the short program, you can never win!"

Dawn laughed with her. This was so great. It would have been perfect if Buffy had been there like she promised. For the second time that day she wondered where her older sister was. And why she had missed her short program.

"Just keep visualizing yourself landing a perfect triple loop," Gen advised Dawn as they entered the locker room for the long program. "You feel the blade hitting at the exact right angle, and you know you're going to stick it."

Dawn nodded while pulling open the locker she'd seen Tina toss her skates into. She blinked, staring into the locker. It was empty. HER SKATES WERE GONE!

Gen glanced into the empty locker and instantly understood the problem. "They can't be far. We'll find them," she assured Dawn, pulling open locker after locker.

In an instant, the other skaters in the room became aware of what had happened. Everyone turned suspicious eyes toward Zoey Bloch. "What are you freaks looking at?" she snapped.

Gen took a threatening step toward Zoey. "Give them back, Zoey!" she demanded.

"Back off, Harwood," Zoey growled. "I'll mess you up!"

Gen squared her shoulders and kept advancing on Zoey. "I don't care if you do. I'm not skating, but you are!"

Gen's words scared Zoey, who backed away. At that moment, Tina stepped between the two of them. "Stop it, Gen," she said. "She didn't do it."

Everyone was now staring at Tina. "She's not threatened by you," she explained to Dawn. "The question is … who here is threatened the most?"

Tina wheeled around to face Nikki's mother and reached into her oversized bag. In a second, she had pulled out Dawn's skates!

Nikki's mom pretended to be shocked. "I don't know how those could've—"

“Can it, Maureen," Tina said, cutting her off sharply. "You're talking to a pro."

"Tina, how did you know?" Dawn asked her.

"I know how far parents in this sport will go," Tina replied. As she said those words, she looked at Gen rather than at Dawn. Dawn thought Gen knew what she knew—that this was as close to an apology as she was ever going to get from Tina. Judging from the soft smile on Gen's face, Dawn guessed it was enough for her.

Tina then turned her attention to Dawn. "Lace up," she commanded.

"But what happens to Nikki?" Dawn asked.

"She'll be disqualified," Tina told Dawn in a matter-of-fact tone.

Nikki stepped forward. "But I didn't know anything about it!" she objected dramatically. Dawn knew that Nikki was lying.

"That's true, Tina," Nikki's mother agreed. "She didn't know."

Dawn shook her head as she thought: like mother, like daughter.

Tina shook her head. "Sorry. I'm making a report."

"Don't," Dawn said. All eyes turned to her, shocked. "Don't," she repeated. "I want to skate her, fair and square." She knew that Nikki probably deserved to be disqualified—but she also knew she deserved the chance to test herself against Nikki in this event.

Tina regarded Dawn thoughtfully. "Well …" she considered. “There's something to be said for avoiding a scandal." She turned to Nikki. "You just came this close to a boxing career," she told her.

Dawn sat on the bench and began to lace up her skates.

Tina sat alongside Dawn on the bench and held out her hand to Dawn, offering her something. Looking down Dawn saw that she was giving her earplugs. "I forgot to tell you this during the short program, but I'm telling you now," she said. "You can lose the long program just sitting here if you don't prepare properly."

Dawn stared at her, not understanding, as Tina pressed the earplugs into her hand. "Put these in," Tina insisted. "Believe me, you don't want to know what's going on out there. If a skater falls, you'll get overconfident. If she brings the crowd to its feet, you'll feel pressure. Don't watch the performances; don't hear them—stay in your head, loving your skates. No one else exists."

While Dawn waited for her turn. Gen came alongside her and she asked to use Gen's cell phone to call Buffy.

Dawn hadn't realized that Tina had come up behind her while she was calling Buffy. "This is not about her," she said in a surprisingly kind voice.

Nodding, Dawn knew this about her doing her best. If she was worried about Buffy she would not do her best. She handed the phone back to Gen.

"And one more thing," Tina added. She barely managed to contain a smile at what she saw behind Dawn, who stood poised to skate out for her performance.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"Skate with your heart," Tina said.

"That's good advice." A voice said behind Dawn.

Dawn turned to find Buffy standing behind her. She smiled and hugged her sister.

"Now you go out there and do what Tina said. Skate with your heart." Buffy said smiling at Dawn.

Dawn nodded as she hugged Buffy one more time and then pushed off into the rink to begin her routine. In the center of the rink, she struck her starting pose, with just a moment for one deep breath before the music began.

"Here’s her opening jump, a double axel combination," Turner Banks announced.

Dawn spun in the air and, when she touched down, she knew immediately she was off-balance. She went over falling on the ice.

"Ohh! She touched down," Michelle Kwan said with a groan.

Buffy who stood next to Tina muttered. "Come on Dawn get up. You can do it."

"When the stakes are this high, this where the nerves come into play," Turner banks said sympathetically.

Dawn had to find a way to regain the points she'd surely lost by touching down. As she moved into position for her next jump, she decided at the last second that she would double it. She'd never doubled a triple flip—few skaters could—but she was willing to try.

Dawn jammed her toe pick into the ice as forcefully as she could manage and willed herself to climb higher and higher still. It seemed to be working … but then Dawn came down again. She tumbled over backward, slamming down hard on her butt and traveling nearly a yard before she could stop.

The crowd groaned.

Gen looked at Tina and Buffy. "She deviated."

Buffy shook her head. "What does she think she's doing? Trying to double a triple. That's a very hard jump."

"Probably trying to recapture lost points,” Tina said. “It was a risky move. And I will bust her for it, tomorrow."

Buffy shook her head. "Some deviation should be allowed. Mind you I said some. We don't want a whole routine where she has deviated. But she was right to try and make up lost points."

"I guess you're right. Deviation in moderation. But she must stick to the program otherwise." Tina said.

Gen looked between Tina and Buffy as realization crossed her face. Something was going on between her mom and Buffy. "What's going on? Are you both coaching her or something?"

Buffy smiled. "Shh! It's a surprise. We agreed not to tell anyone till Sectionals. Only your mom and I knew."

“And your friend, Mr. Giles,” Tina added.

“Right,” Buffy said.

Dawn got up and looked to see how Buffy and Tina had taken it. She could tell they were talking. But what really got her attention were the three seats, which had been marked reserved, next to Buffy's still vacant seat, were now filled. She smiled as she saw Giles, Willow and Xander watching her. Now she knew why Buffy had been late. She had been picking them up from the airport.

Suddenly, everything was all right. Dawn had her whole _family_ there watching her. She began to pick up speed, sailing around the ice. She leapt up and spun into a triple salchow! She landed … and sailed off on one foot.

"Triple salchow!" Turner Banks shouted enthusiastically into the PA system. "Perfect landing!"

The crowd went wild, cheering and applauding.

"That has to be the rally of the year!" Michelle Kwan commented.

Turner Banks agreed with her. "Nobody's come back this far from mid-program disaster since Midori Ito in the '92 Olympics." He said.

The crowd was still on its feet, cheering as Dawn bowed and waved to them. Flowers were thrown at her feet while she skated off, still waving. She saw Ann and Gen screaming and hugging each other.


	13. Chapter 13

Dawn spotted Tina and Buffy waiting for her at the boards. They were applauding as hard as everyone else. She skated to them and they sat down in the kiss-and-cry area to await her first set of marks, the ones for technical merit.

"I've been wondering something." Dawn said as she looked between her sister and Tina. "The announcers said I was the only skater here today that had two coaches."

Buffy smiled as she handed Dawn a program. "It's true."

Dawn opened the program and looked down at her name. Next to her name it said:

_COACH – TINA HARWOOD_

_COACH – BUFFY SUMMERS_

Dawn looked up at Buffy. "Not that it's not nice to see you listed as my coach. But why are you?" she asked.

It wasn’t Buffy who answered her but Tina. "Because she offered me a deal I couldn't refuse," she said. "You're now looking at the new co-owner of Harwood and Summers Skating Rink."

Dawn's eyes went wide.

"That's right Dawnie. I called in a favor from Giles. He gave me the money to become Tina's partner," Buffy said. "I’ve already put in my resignation at work and tomorrow I am going to work fulltime at the rink. I will not only be one of your two coaches as Tina will continue to train you as well. But I will also train other skaters as well as teach classes. This way I can help to train you and still provide a living for the both of us."

The marks were finally posted. They were high, especially considering how disastrous the beginning of Dawn's program had been.

"These marks are nearly identical with those of Nikki Sellman, who is currently in first place," Turner banks told the crowd and TV viewers.

The second set of marks, the ones for artistic merit, came up on the scoreboard. "Again, almost dead even with Nikki," Turner banks said. “Did she do it?"

In a second, the placement rankings came in.

"No!" Turner Banks cried. "She'll have to settle for the silver!"

"But only by one tenth of a point," Michelle Kwan added.

Dawn hugged first Buffy and then Tina, ecstatic. "Thank you," she said.

"After six more months of practice with Buffy and I, you'll be able to whip her butt easily," Tina promised, smiling.

Dawn got up and walked over to where Willow, Xander and Giles were waiting and hugged each of them in turn. "Thanks for coming guys. This was the most wonderful surprise I've ever had, you all coming to see me compete."

"Can you take one more surprise?" Giles asked. Dawn looked at him confused but she nodded. "When you're ready for college. Be it next week, next year, or ten years from now. You will have a full scholarship to any university you choose. The only stipulation is you work as a Watcher for at least one year."

Dawn's eyes widened. "Wow, thanks Giles." She hugged the man she considered to be as close to a father as she had ever had.

"Actually that's not the only surprise,” Xander said. “I built you a display case for your trophies. You will find it back at your house ready and waiting for your first one."

Dawn wiped a tear from her face and hugged Xander. "Thank you."

Willow smiled at Dawn and handed her an envelope. Dawn opened the envelope to find an IOU. "What's this for?" Dawn asked.

"Two plane tickets for you and Buffy to come see us,” Willow said. “You just call and let us know when and we'll pay for them for the both of you to come see us."

Dawn smiled and hugged Willow as Buffy and Tina walked up behind her. She turned to her sister and Tina. "Of course it will have to be when I am not training."

Tina looked at Dawn and smiled. Willow had already talked to her and Buffy about the plane tickets. "Of course Dawn. I think we can set aside a week, maybe after Nationals that you and Buffy can go see your family."

A week later Buffy drove Dawn to the rink. As they drove up Dawn noticed that a new sign was being put up on the side of the building. It read:

_HARWOOD AND SUMMERS SKATING RINK_

_THE HOME OF SECTIONALS SILVER MEDALIST DAWN SUMMERS_

Dawn smiled as she read the sign. She knew Buffy had likely talked Tina into the new sign. But she couldn't have been more proud to see her name up there. As they pulled into the parking lot, they found Tina waiting by the door.

Dawn got out of the car, followed by Buffy, and walked over to Tina. "Thank you." She then looked at Buffy. "Thank you."

Tina shook her head. "The sign was Buffy's idea. Took some convincing for me to go along with it. Especially since we will have to change it when you win Nationals."

Buffy hugged her sister as they and Tina walked into the rink to begin Dawn's practice session. "Let's get to work." Buffy said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: This was the original ending of the story and I found that I had a lot of fun writing the story to this point. The ending of this chapter you see while was not written till the end. It was what I wanted to do since I started this story. I wanted Buffy to end up at the end either with Tina, or solo, training Dawn.
> 
> Anyways as I said this was the original ending. And as I said I had a lot of fun writing it, so much that I wanted to continue. But what could I use for inspiration. Then I heard of Ice Castles, I had never seen either movie (original or remake) or read the novelization of the original movie. I picked up the novelization and read through it, I enjoyed it enough to try and adapt its story to this one. And so the next few chapters deal with that adaptation.


	14. Chapter 14

Tina stood watching to make sure that Dawn’s workout was going according to the rather rough program she and Buffy had planned for Dawn.

“Remember the long program is the most important part of the competition,” Tina said. “You’ve got four and a half minutes, and you’ll be under pressure all the time. Now the program Buffy and I’ve worked up will give you some fast, strong moves at the very beginning, but you’re going to have to work hard in all four corners of the arena. Remember, you get scored for using all the ice, not just the center of it, and you want to give them their money’s worth.”

“I know, Tina,” nodded Dawn. “Don’t worry.”

“And you got to work on that sit-spin,” cautioned Tina. “It’s your weakest move.”

“I know, Tina. I’ve been trying, but it’s still a little wobbly.”

“All right, Dawn, take a break,” called Buffy as she skated over. She looked at Tina who nodded and walked off. “Don’t let Tina get to you. You know how she gets.”

Dawn nodded. “I know. Are you done with your skater?”

“You are my skater.” Buffy said.

“You know what I mean.” Dawn replied.

Buffy nodded, “Yeah her session is over. So the rest of your session you got me. Why don’t we go through your routine?”

Dawn grinned and skated off to the center of the rink, striking a pose. She started the music in her head and glided forward on her left foot, skating as quickly around the rink as she could to gain momentum for her first jump. It was a split jump, something she hadn’t done in either the Regionals or Sectionals and Buffy had suggested she add.

With a surge of power, she left the ice, leaping high into the air with no apparent effort, her arms curving gracefully over her head, her legs wide apart in a perfect split. For a heartbeat, she remained suspended in midair.

“Not bad, Dawnie,” Buffy called out as Dawn came down from her leap and glided backward in arabesque.

One leg extended she executed a perfect arabesque and turned gracefully so that she was skating forward for another jump.

“Double axel,” Buffy said, and Dawn left the ice again, turning twice in midair and coming down on the same foot she had started off with. Someday . . . someday, Dawn decided, she would master the triple axel, if only to prove to herself she could.

“Sit-spin,” instructed Buffy, and Dawn’s heart sank a little.

To Dawn the sit-spin was just plain murder. It begins as a standing spin, but the skater must sink immediately and gracefully into a sitting position on the skating knee, the other leg extended parallel to the ice as she spins around. Then she has to rise again, just as gracefully and—still spinning—come to a perfect stop with arms crossed on the chest.

The sit-spin was something Dawn always thought Nikki was great at. Oh she hated how Nikki and her mother had tried to ruin Sectionals for her by trying to steal her skates. She was determined to beat Nikki and learning to do the sit-spin one of Nikki’s signature moves would help accomplish that.

With a muffled groan, Dawn executed a rather wobbly sit-spin.

“Again!” ordered Tina from where she stood watching.

Buffy looked to Tina and frowned and then nodded. “Again, Dawnie. Back straight, head high.”

Dawn groaned as she did a second sit-spin, this one was better.

Buffy sighed. “That’s better.”

Soon the session ended and Dawn skated swiftly to the edge of the rink and sat on barrier as she unlaced her skates. Buffy came over and sat down next to her as she too removed her skates. Tina walked them to the door of the rink. “You were good today, Dawn,” she said.

Buffy smiled, “You were Dawnie.”

As Buffy and Dawn walked out of the rink they spotted Teddy waiting beside Buffy’s car.

“Teddy!” Dawn shouted happily. She hadn’t seen him in a few days as he had gone to visit Gen at college. She ran to him full tilt and nearly knocked him down. “Oh, Teddy!”

Laughing, Teddy spun Dawn around and gave her a big bear-hug.

Buffy smiled as she crossed the parking lot and smiled at her sister and Teddy. “Welcome home, Teddy.”

“Thanks, Buffy,” Teddy said. “You two goin’ home?” Dawn nodded eagerly. “Buffy, you don’t mind if I take your skater out for a burger?”

Buffy smiled and shook her head. “I don’t mind one bit if you take my _sister_ out. I’ll see you at home, Dawn.”

Hours later after dinner Teddy was giving Dawn a ride home on his motorcycle and Dawn loved it; her face under the visor of the helmet was all smiles as Teddy raced down the highway. She adored the feeling of flying, the rush that the speed gave her. Not that she would ever, ever tell Buffy that. She knew how much her sister worried about her anytime Teddy gave Dawn a ride home on his motorcycle.

Buffy had told Dawn once that she loved Teddy like a brother and was happy that he made Dawn happy. But that didn’t stop the worry and very likely would never ever stop the worry she got when Dawn was not there, not safe by her side.

Dawn had pretty much that figured that despite the fact that she had been made to be Buffy’s sister. She was actually Buffy’s daughter and knew the worry that Buffy held for her was a result of that motherly instinct. They pulled up in front of the Summers home and Dawn could see from where she sat on the motorcycle that Buffy had been looking out the front window.

“She really does worry about you, doesn’t she?” Teddy said as Dawn got off. He too had seen Buffy at the window.

“Yeah,” Dawn said as she looked at the house. “I worry about her too.”

Teddy smiled and gave Dawn a lingering and passionate kiss. “Go tell her you’re alright.”

Dawn smiled as she watched Teddy drive off and ran into the house.

“You have a good time?” Buffy asked from the couch in the living room.

“The best,” Dawn said. “Worrywort.”

“Can you blame me?” Buffy asked as she looked at Dawn.

“No,” Dawn said. “Not in the slightest. Now you know how I feel anytime you go out on patrol.”

“Yeah,” Buffy said.

The next day Dawn twisted around to look at her back view in her bedroom mirror. The new skating dress that Buffy had gotten her hung just a tad loose on her.

“We’ll have it taken in,” Buffy said.

Dawn nodded in agreement. “Buffy,” she said as she changed the subject. “Do you think I have what it takes to win Nationals?”

“Of course I do,” Buffy said. “Tina was right at Sectionals, with us you will win Nationals with no problems.”


	15. Chapter 15

“What time is it?” Dawn asked anxiously.

Tina had setup a little exhibition for Dawn at Buffy’s request to get sponsors. While money was good it was a tad bit tight compared to what Buffy would have liked.

“We got plenty of time,” Buffy assured her.

“What _time_ is it?” Dawn insisted.

“Eight-fifteen,” Buffy admitted.

“What is keeping Tina?” Dawn asked. “I thought this thing was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago.”

“Don’t worry,” Buffy said. “We’re alright.”

“Are you ready?”

Buffy and Dawn turned to see Tina standing in the doorway to the locker room.

“Yes,” Dawn said.

“Head high,” Buffy said. “You can do this. It’s just like at Sectionals.”

“It’s time,” Tina said as the three of them headed out into the rink. She and Buffy flanked Dawn out to the center. “This is the young woman I was telling you about. And this woman standing opposite me is Dawn’s sister and her other coach. She also acts as Dawn’s manager. So if any of you sign Dawn you will be talking to Buffy.”

Tina gave Dawn a nod and then she and Buffy left the ice and then the music started. She began to move across the ice and as she did so she bent backwards in a spread eagle, one of the most difficult moves in figure skating to execute well. But Dawn was not even aware she was executing it. When she skated every movement became a logical extension of her body. She turned so naturally into a spin and the spin into a backward glide and a sudden leap off the ice into a double axel.

Buffy and Tina watched the audience, the folks who represented the companies that might want to sponsor Dawn, draw its breath and lean forward to get a better look at Dawn.

Dawn didn’t hear the crowd at all, she was totally in her own world. She dipped and glided, and sailed across the ice in a backward spiral, then once more the spread-eagle backend, her head back … slowly … slowly …. Her hair nearly touching the ice. Suddenly, in perfect time to the music, she arched forward and took off in a perfect triple salchow, she landed perfectly and leapt once more. This time she did a double axel and touched down lightly as a feather. She leapt again into a perfectly executed double lutz, taking off from a fast outside spiral, her knee bent so low it nearly touched the ice. Turning in the air, rapidly, twice, coming down in a perfect landing that turned into a spin and that spin into a sit-spin—Dawn almost a blur of motion.

Getting to its feet the crowd roared out their approval, cheering and clapping.

For the first time since starting, Dawn became aware of the audience. It was also then she realized what she was doing as she looked down at what was happening. She was doing a sit-spin and the audience was enjoying it. Her most hated move and she was doing it perfectly.

Dawn came out of the sit-spin and skated forward into another double lutz, then down into another sit-spin, just to prove to herself it had not been a fluke.

In the stands, Deborah Mackland, the representative from Alka Seltzer, watched Dawn with intense interest. What impressed her most was not Dawn’s skating—she was a natural, but the way that the crowd responded to her. Each and every representative recognized a champion when they saw one. And Dawn was indeed a champion, they would all be chomping at the bit to sponsor the girl.

The music rose and swelled as Dawn leaped, glided and spun until finally, a last spin brought her to a perfect rest, dead center of the rink. The music stopped.

There was an explosion of sound as the representatives got to their feet and began clapping.

The next few days Buffy played host to the representatives of the various sponsors who wanted to sponsor Dawn. And then she hosted Deborah Mackland. Not only had Deborah talked about how wonderful Dawn was but she also talked about how much Alka Seltzer was willing to offer to sponsor Dawn. Which was more than any of the other representatives offered. Enough to ensure that Dawn would be able to train and they would have enough money coming in they could live comfortably for a long time.

Then came the first commercial. Utilizing the rink Dawn skated out in front of the camera and faked coughing. “I’ve got a big exhibition coming up and my sinuses are acting up. That’s why I take Alka Seltzer plus. It relieves my sinus symptoms quickly so that I can get back out there.”

As part of Dawn’s sponsorship she was expected to perform exhibitions regularly so that the crowds could get behind her. Sometimes it was with other skaters, sometimes not. Deborah also booked Dawn on interviews, every angle was exploited to ensure that Alka Seltzer’s investment returned big.

Dawn sat one evening watching a segment she had taped two days before air on TV.

“ … A skater who appeared from nowhere, electrifying the audience at the Sectionals competition of the New England Regionals three months ago.”

Dawn thought back on the competition and smiled. She had come in second after Nikki.

The news program showed her skating, showed her at the Sectionals. They had even done interviews with not only Tina and Buffy but also with Gen, Ann and Teddy.

After the cameras had left Teddy had taken Dawn out for dinner to congratulate her on the sponsorship. They went out for seafood and Teddy knew if his mother had any say in it, they wouldn’t have. But even though Tina still trained Dawn, Buffy had the majority control and allowed Teddy and Dawn to do things that Tina would never have allowed when Gen was still training.

Dawn cracked the claws of the lobster she had ordered and extracted the meat as Teddy watched her and smiled.

“As you know mom doesn’t let me in to the rink when you’re training, despite the fact that Buffy wants me there,” Teddy said. “So I have no idea how you’ve been doing outside the fact you got a sponsorship from Alka Seltzer.”

“Everything has been fine,” Dawn said. “Grueling of course but fine. During the exhibition for the sponsors. I finally managed to do a perfect sit-spin.”

“You did?” Teddy said shocked. “You always hated it.”

“I know,” Dawn said. “But when I was skating I didn’t even notice I was doing it, it just came so natural. When I practice it with Tina and Buffy, it’s not natural. It’s forced because they know I have to learn the move if I have any chance of beating Nikki at Nationals.”

“And you will,” Teddy said. “You’ll beat her hands down.”


	16. Chapter 16

Deborah had set up a Halloween an exhibition; it would be the last time Dawn would do an exhibition before the Nationals in two months.

Dawn skated out swiftly and took her place in the center of the ice, waiting for her music to begin. When it did she moved quickly, bursting into her program. The crowd drew in its breath. Her first jump lifted her high in the air, and it was followed immediately by a double flip. This variation on the salchow rotated her twice and brought her down on her toe picks to thunderous applause.

Dawn jumped again and again—a double axel, a double flip—and then came down into a sit-spin, her extended leg held perfectly parallel to the ice.

In the stands Nikki Sellman groaned and looked at her mother. “She mastered it. Now I will never win at Nationals.”

Mrs. Sellman also groaned. She was sure her daughter was right. At Sectionals Nikki had just barely hung onto first place. And with both Tina and Dawn’s sister, Buffy, she was sure Dawn would now win at Nationals.

Dawn stood up, still spinning and moved effortlessly into a backward arabesque, speeding around the ice, using all corners of the arena as her stage, bursting upon the dazzled spectators like a seagull in flight. She skated forward, lifting high in the air again, arms and legs spread in a split-jump.

But something happened, something caught Dawn’s attention. She went crashing into the wall hard, so hard that she found herself flying over it and into the stands landing hard on the metal seats and her head came down on them and then Dawn knew only darkness as she lost consciousness.

Horror and fear was etched on Buffy’s face as she ran to Dawn, followed quickly by Tina and Teddy.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

All the way to the hospital in the ambulance, Buffy’s eyes did not leave Dawn’s face. She had never seen her sister so still before, but she had the EMT’s word that Dawn was alive. Dawn didn’t appear to even be breathing, but lay on the stretcher with her eyes shut. Buffy had noticed there was no blood coming from any wound on Dawn.

That’s because the bleeding was internal, the chief neurosurgeon explained, after he’d checked over the CAT scan. There was definite damage to the inside of Dawn’s skill, concussion, possible fracture. But for the moment, surgery did not seem to be indicated. However, it would be a day or two before Dawn could be adequately diagnosed. Buffy quietly assented.

By the time that Dawn did float up through her ocean of pain to consciousness, two days had passed, and with them had come two more CAT scans. They showed edema—swelling—and blood seepage, but luckily no clots. It was probably that surgery could be avoided all together.

“Buffy? Is that you? I … I can’t see you very well,” murmured Dawn with agonizing slowness.

Buffy smiled at Dawn as she held her sister’s hand. “Yeah, it’s me, Dawnie. I’m here and everything is going to be alright.”

Clutching her sister’s hand, Dawn drifted into sleep.

“This kind of thing is difficult to diagnose,” Dr. Bramley told Buffy as she anxiously awaited Dawn’s forth CAT scan. He glanced at the computer printout in his hand, and once more at the computer screen that displayed the CAT scan. “There’s some clotting as a result of hemorrhaging, and of course, the contusion is a bruise on the brain, so there is no damage to the receptors—the eyes. The problem is with the processing center in the occipital lobe. All the muscles and elements of the eyes are nrmal. That’s why it’s hard to tell there’s anything wrong with her.

After their mother’s death and the fact that neither she nor Dawn had known about the possibility of an aneurism she had little patience with doctors. “Well, Doc,” she demanded, “is my sister blind or isn’t she?”

The neurosurgeon shrugged to show that it was not a question to which he could offer a simple answer. “When she first came out of the coma, she reported that there was blackness. Now she says she can see light and shadow. The clotting may dissolve, or we may be able to do something to alleviate it, maybe drill through the skull and see we can take any of the pressure off. But let me tell you, the pattern for this kind of thing is that it improves or deteriorates fairly soon after the trauma, then stabilizes, and after that, what you have is what you have.”

Buffy got what the doctor was saying. Dawn may have already stabilized. And if she had she won’t be totally blind, but she won’t have full sight ever again either. ”When can she go home?”

“She’s going to need a lot of special care,” the doctor warned.

“I understand,” Buffy nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”

Dr. Bramley sighed, “Sorry we couldn’t do more,” he said. “I understand she was very promising.”

“Yes, yes … she was very … promising,” said Tina tonelessly. She got up suddenly and almost ran from the room.

Buffy followed her out and found Tina braced against the wall. “It’s not so much just being her coach anymore is it?” she asked.

Tina shook her head. “No. Even though she is in reality no relation to me and is only dating my son. I came to love Dawn as if she was Gennifer’s sister and my daughter.”

“Despite the rocky beginning we had,” Buffy said. “I think Dawn looked up at you as more than just her coach. As you know Tina, we lost our mother to brain aneurism. So Dawn needed someone who could fill that role. I tried but I was never any good at it. She will need us both.”

Tina nodded in agreement.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn stood at the window, fully dressed. Behind her Buffy fold the last of her things and clicked the suitcase shut.

“It’s okay to cry, Dawn,” Buffy said as her Slayer hearing picked up the quiet sobbing coming from her sister who had tried to hide it from her.

“So much down the drain,” Dawn said as she stared out the window. In reality she wasn’t really looking out the window as she could see almost nothing. She just had not wanted Buffy to see her cry. Foolish she knew as Buffy just demonstrated. “I’m not going to get better. Every day I could see a little better, at first … Now it’s all the same.”

“Nothing is down the drain, Dawn,” Buffy said as she turned her sister towards her. “You can still skate.”

“How,” Dawn said. “I can’t see more than light and shadows, Buffy.”

“There are figure skaters that are blind and able to do it,” Buffy said. “So can you.”

Dawn sighed, she was not sure she still wanted to skate. “No I won’t and everybody knows it. I can hear it in your voice, Buffy. In everyone’s voices, even Tina’s. She tried to tell me like you just now that this was temporary that I would skate again. But she knew it would not happen. I can’t even see you, Buffy. I’m blind.”

Buffy drew Dawn tightly into her arms. She could feel the tears welling up in her own throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. “Don’t say that, Dawnie. We don’t know yet, not for sure. That’s what the doctors have been saying. They just don’t know yet. Anything is possible.”

“What am I going to do?” sobbed Dawn. “I can’t see anything!”

Pity and helpessness washed over Buffy in a tidal wave of feeling. She hadn’t been so wracked since she and Dawn had lost their mother. Dawn was suffering so badly, and she was supposed to be the Slayer. So why was she so helpless? All she could do was hold her sister and try and comfort Dawn the best she could. “There, there, Dawnie,” was all she could say, as if Dawn had done no more than scratch her knee.

“Help me, Buffy, help me!” cried Dawn, clutching tightly at Buffy’s shirt.


	17. Chapter 17

When Buffy was allowed to take Dawn home. The day was mild and Dawn longed to see the familiar landmarks. Dawn remained mostly quiet the whole way home, Buffy kept up a constant chatter though trying to make her feel at ease. There was three topics though she did not discuss. Ice skating, Teddy and Dawn’s blindness.

After Dawn’s accident, Teddy had stayed away. Buffy understood to some degree. He was afraid that Dawn would no longer love him since she could no longer see him. She had tried to tell him that the fear was foolish and that Dawn still loved him. Something Dawn proved several times when she had tried to call Teddy while still in the hospital.

Dawn’s room didn’t quite feel the same. Buffy had gone through it before she had brought Dawn home and removed anything that would have gotten in Dawn’s way or cause her injury. The room was stripped to its barest of essentials and the furniture was lined up against the walls. Even so, it was several days before Dawn could make her around it without bruising herself against sharp corners.

On her first day home, Dawn refused to leave her rom but stayed quietly in her bed, staring up at the shadowed ceiling. Buffy didn’t press her; after all, Dawn had been through an unbelievable ordeal and was understandably exhausted.

Dawn didn’t come out of her room for several days, she refused to leave the four walls that closed her away from the world. Buffy brought Dawn her meals day after day. And day after day Dawn sent most of the food back.

Dawn’s vision had stabilized, and she knew it wouldn’t change. She could make out the difference between light and show and could even distinguish people she knew very well, like Buffy by her outline. But the inner details, the features of the face, the clothing—these she couldn’t make out at all. It was as though there was a big hole in her eyesight, and the inner circle was missing, leaving only the rims. Yet, she didn’t look blind, except that she was developing that vacancy of expression so many blind people had, as their thoughts turn inward. Also, she had to walk with her hands outstretched, and she hated that.

The day that Dawn bumped into her bedroom wall was the day she finally decided to try and come out of her room. She had been cooped up long enough, and missed her sister’s company. She stepped forward to what she thought was the door, hands held out before her, and walked smack into her wall.

For a moment she stood there, huddled against it, feeling blind and ridiculous. Then her fingers reached up and touched something. Paper. The poster for Sectionals. And next to it, more paper. The news article from when she had placed second at Sectionals. She was tempted to tear them down, a sad reminder what she had lost. But these unlike the pictures and posters that dotted other walls were more than reminders of what she had lost. They were reminders of what she had accomplished. She felt the wall and found the frame that housed the CD that held the program had started it all.

Dawn moved to another wall, a wall she knew only held posters and tore them down, all of them. She moved to another wall, this one covered with photographs in frames. Of her with Buffy. Of her with Gen, Teddy and Ann. Of her with Giles, Xander and Willow. She passed this wall by as well at least for now. She wanted to keep the pictures, just as she wanted to keep the news article and the Sectional posters. Something maybe to show and tell her children about someday. The rest she was not worried about.

Buffy must have heard the noise Dawn was making because she came and knocked on Dawn’s door. “Dawnie, are you okay?”

“Come in, Buffy,” Dawn said and she heard the door open.

Buffy looked around the room and saw two walls completely bare and the posters that had lined them crumpled up on the floor. She then looked at the remaining two walls. “Want me to take the pictures, the CD, the news article and the poster from Sectionals down?”

“Please,” Dawn said.

Buffy nodded as she began taking them down. “I’ll store them for you.”

“Fine! That’s good,” Dawn said.

“Dawn, you don’t have to take your frustrations out on me,” Buffy said. “I know it’s hard. I wish I knew how hard. But I’m here for you. You are not alone in this.”

“I’m sorry, Buffy,” Dawn said.

That evening Dawn had dinner in the dining room. She had insisted that no one else but her and Buffy would be there. She was very self-conscious about eating in front of anyone, even Buffy. She felt gross, trying to find her mouth with a spoon and needing to have Buffy to cut everything up small, like a dog’s dinner.

Dawn found it hard to navigate the halls, even though she knew her way around. She kept bumping into the walls. Buffy would walk backwards a few steps in front of her just in case, but she would let Dawn do it herself without her help so that her sister could learn her way around.

“Dawn,” Buffy said as she watched her sister not eating. “Is everything alright?”

“I just …” Dawn said. For her it was just too much.

“I’ll help you back to your room,” Buffy said in understanding. “Then bring you your dinner.”

“Thanks,” Dawn said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

“Feels good to get some air, doesn’t it?” Buffy asked two days later. She had brought Dawn outside and led her towards the pond. Nationals had long since passed and the pond where Dawn had found her passion for figure skating was frozen over.

Dawn stood staring straight ahead unseeing, with no idea where she was. Little by little, the shapes around the pond—the bare trees, the bench, began to intrude on her sightlessness, and she knew where she was. She turned her face away.

“It’s lovely this time of you, but you know that,” Buffy said softly. “If you shut your eyes I am sure you can see it in your mind.”

“I want to go back inside,” Dawn said stonily.

Buffy led Dawn, who came reluctantly, onto the ice.

Dawn realized where she was as her eyes widened in fear.

“Remember when this all started? I do. You had homework. You asked for just five more minutes. I gave my approval. I didn’t know at that time the path you would take.” Buffy asked as she guided Dawn a few steps further out.

Dawn pulled away from Buffy, spinning around, her boots sliding on the ice. Rushing for the bank, she slipped and fell to her knees, but continued crawling up the embankment, scabbling with her fingers and toes for a hold.

Brokenhearted, Buffy watched her terrified sister. Dawn had been mostly terrified only of the things that she herself had fought in Sunnydale. When they had moved to Millbrook away from their friends, Dawn had found the ice to be a rewarding friend. She hoped that friend could heal her sister now, if Dawn would only let it.

“Please, Dawnie,” Buffy begged, tears freezing on her cheeks in the wind. “Don’t give up, okay? Please don’t give up.” She ran to Dawn and held her sister’s rigid body in her arms. Dawn kept her face turned away from the ice, not wanting to see even the shadowy, glinting mass of it, wanting desperately to be back inside.


	18. Chapter 18

Tina came by several times in the weeks and months after the accident. Some of those times she brought both Gen and Teddy, neither of whom Dawn had wanted to see. When Gen and Teddy did come over they hung largely out at the pond looking over its glossy surface.

Buffy always watched them from the kitchen window while their mother was with Dawn. She knew that both of them held tears in their eyes at how much Dawn had lost.

One day when they were over she walked out of the house and towards Teddy and Gen. “It’s hard to watch something you love just … give up,” she said.

Teddy and Gen both nodded in agreement. Neither of them responding to Buffy’s comment.

“I’ve done about all I can do. She won’t listen to me, she refuses to come back out here. But the two of you, she might listen. She might come back. Be the same Dawn that we all love.”

Neither Teddy nor Gen went inside that day.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn knew Buffy had been right, when she closed her eyes she could see the pond. She could see herself skating on it. The memories that it brought back were pleasant. Especially the one where Teddy came out with the Zamboni and glossed it over for her. That was the day she had fallen for him hard.

But that was also the reason she couldn’t go out there. She could close her eyes and see everything, but when she opened them there was the reminder that everything was different. That everything was nothing more than light and shadows.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Tina seldom worked on anything at the rink, leaving that work to Teddy. This time though she wanted time to herself. She stood in front of the sign at the back of the rink. The sign that read:

HARWOOD and SUMMERS SKATING RINK

Buffy had been very little since Dawn’s accident. She understood why of course, Dawn was her main priority now. Since they remained partners she sent Buffy her share of each months profits so that Buffy wouldn’t have to come in unless she needed to.

That made the rink a quiet one, some of Buffy’s skaters had left for other coaches.

As Tina looked to the sign she didn’t hear her daughter walk through the door nearby.

“Mom?” Gen said.

Startled Tina spun to see Gen standing next to her. “Gennifer.”

“You never clean or work on the equipment,” Gen said. “Why are you now?”

Tina let out a sigh. “It’s kind of soothing and it helps me to forget.”

“Forget what happened to Dawn?” Gen asked.

“Yes,” Tina said. “I know you didn’t think you had it in you to skate. But I coached two of the most talented, the most beautiful skaters in the world. I’m proud of both of them.”

Gen smiled, she had a small inkling that in the months since Sectionals her mother had come to love Dawn as much as her mother loved herself and Teddy.

“But not seeing Dawn here training. I think it’s just too much. I think I’m going to offer Buffy the ability to buy me out.”

“Mom,” Gen said. “Buffy’s not going to want to keep it either. Unless Dawn starts skating again. It’s just going to be a painful reminder.”

Tina nodded as she turned and walked away from her daughter.

Gen let out a sigh. Maybe Buffy had been right. Maybe what Dawn needed was to get back out on the ice. Not only would it help heal Dawn, but herself, her mom, Teddy and Buffy as well.

Tina walked outside to find Buffy standing beside her car, Dawn no where in sight. “Where’s Dawn?” she asked.

“Home,” Buffy said with a sigh. “You know when we first met I couldn’t stand you. In the months since Sectionals …” Tina nodded in understanding. “I don’t know what do anymore, Tina. She hardly comes out of her room. She sits up there, the TV on, listening to it. She’s given up.”

Tina walked the few steps to Buffy and put a hand comfortingly on her friend’s shoulder. “It’ll just take time.”

“You two are two peas in a pod.”

Buffy and Tina turned to see Gen standing behind them.

“Hi, Buffy,” Gen said.

“Hey, Gen,” Buffy returned.

“I’ve been thinking,” Gen said. “Maybe you are right. But here is the thing. It’s going to take all of us to our Dawn back. You two, me and Teddy.”

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

When Buffy returned home she found Dawn was not in her room. “Dawnie?” She checked the house and nothing. Then she noticed the door to the attic was open. She wondered how Dawn had managed to get to the attic all alone. She climbed the stairs and found Dawn sitting in front of a steamer trunk.

The trunk was the last of their mom’s possessions. Before the destruction of Sunnydale they had sent items of value to be kept with Angel till after the battle. The trunk had been one of the things they had sent.

Next to Dawn sat stuff their mother had stored in the trunk. Old pictures, Buffy’s high school diploma and graduation gown. Some of Buffy and Dawn’s baby things.

“Dawn,” Buffy said softly.

Dawn’s head came up like a deer’s startled, and she turned her sightless face in Buffy’s direction.

“Dawnie,” Buffy said slowly, approaching her as one would a startled deer. Then she saw it, Dawn was wearing a shirt their mother had knitted for Buffy as a graduation gift. She felt her heart leap up into her throat. “You miss her, even now.”

“Always,” Dawn said.

Buffy sat down next to Dawn. “Is that why you don’t want to go outside? Because I’m not mom?”

“How could you think that …” Dawn said. “Well partially. You know what mom would have done. Do you remember when you started skating? The first time you fell she had you get right back up.”

“That’s right she did,” Buffy said. “She told me. I wanted to do it and that I was going to do it. And you know what happened next. I trained and I went to Regionals. And I won.”

“You won?” Dawn asked. “You never told me that. Neither did mom.”

“Officially I didn’t. Officially I placed second,” Buffy said. “I won not because I won the match. I won because I saw it through. To both me and mom I had won that day because I had accomplished something that I had set my sights for. Now its time for you to do the same.”

Tears came to Dawn’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Buffy.”

“I know,” Buffy said as she held her sister.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next day Buffy and Dawn sat on the bench by the pond as they laced up their skates.

“Nice boots,” Buffy said and Dawn lauched.

“The best,” answered Dawn briefly, with a wry little twist of her lips.

“Ready?” Buffy gave Dawn her hand, and they stood up together. “I’ll be right here with you.”

“I’m not ready for the ice,” Dawn said. “Not yet. Let me get used to the skates again. Maybe in a day or two I’ll step on the ice, okay?

“Okay,” Buffy said and she smiled. Her sister was finally on the road to recovery.

It was a couple days before Dawn had the nerve to go out on the ice. When she did, it was only to take a few tiny, tottering steps forward, clinging to Buffy for dear life. But she took those steps.


	19. Chapter 19

Buffy knew they didn’t have much time, winter was just about over. She didn’t want to push Dawn for fear that her sister would retreat into herself again. But she knew that Dawn would need a push in the right direction. She just hoped that push came soon.

“The ice is still good and thick,” Buffy said as they stood at the edge of the pond. “And I’ll be right here.”

Dawn smiled at her sister. “I know Buffy. I’m more worried about what happens when you let go.”

“You are afraid of falling,” Buffy said in understanding. “The only way you’re going to know if you fall is to try and do it yourself.”

Dawn nodded and for the first time since the accident she took a step out on the ice, solo. For an instant she felt like a baby; the blades buckled beneath her wobbly ankles and she began to slip a little, but before Buffy could step out on the ice and give Dawn her hand, Dawn’s back straightened, and she bent her knees a little, achieving her balance. Then she pushed her skate forward, taking a step. Then her left. Again. And once more. She was skating. As a beginner skates, as a little child skates. Nevertheless, Dawn was skating.

Buffy watched from the bench as she held her breath. She would only go out there if Dawn called for her. For she knew her sister had to do this on her own, even if she fell.

Dawn fell. The wind came up suddenly, catching her in the back and speeding her along faster than she’d intended. Scared, she waved her arms wildly, like a beginner, and she lost her balance and fell. For a minute, she sat sprawled on the ice, bewildered and disoriented. She looked around for Buffy and found her, a dark blur at the edge of the pond. A dark, unmoving blur. It was up to her, and she struggled to her feet and found her balance once again.

For another fifteen minutes she skated alone, back and forth on a small area of the ice near the edge of the pond. With each gliding stroke she seemed to gain—infinitesimally—assurance, but it was the assurance of a learning child, not a practiced skater. Still Buffy’s heart lifted as she watched Dawn. Dawn still had so far to go, but look at how far she had come! She was proud of Dawn.

Suddenly the wind shifted and it caught Dawn full in the face unexpectedly. Once more she fell, this time backward, and for a moment it appeared to Buffy that she’d struck her head. Without thinking, she skated forward, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a movement behind her. She turned.

There stood Teddy who had taken a step forward from behind a tree where he had been watching. She smiled and motioned for him to join her.

Teddy shook his head and mouthed, “Not yet.”

Buffy nodded in understanding as she looked back at Dawn who had gotten to her feet again, unhurt. But the wind had risen and was flowing full force in her face, and she struggled against it, vulnerable and suddenly very small.

Buffy skated out to Dawn. “That’s enough for today, Dawnie. Why don’t we go inside.”

Dawn nodded. “Okay.”

Buffy led Dawn inside past Teddy, who had moved back behind the tree. She did not tell her sister that Teddy had come by, not yet anyways. She knew that Teddy would be by Dawn’s side when Dawn was ready for him to be.

In the days that followed, Dawn gained new confidence. Every day Buffy brought her to the pond, and every day she skated longer and better. She was learning to recognize the rough parts of the ice, and she ventured further and further away from the bank, until she was moving gracefully around the center of the pond, picking up speed. She still had not tried anything fancy, and Buffy didn’t encourage her. Not yet at least.

Buffy knew when Dawn was ready for her to be her coach again, that Dawn would tell her. Till then she watched and waited.

Even with all the assurance she had gained, Dawn was still far from secure on the ice. She hadn’t been blind long enough to be accustomed to it; she still kept turning her head from side to side to _see_. Every shadow made her veer and swerve; dark objects such as a fallen log were perceived by her only at the last minute and only dimly.

Still, it wasn’t long before she tried a jump. Moving over the ice swiftly, she was suddenly overcome with the urge to fly, to lift off and soar high, as she used to. Bending her knee, she jumped. It was a small lift, and a simple one, but as she left the ice, Dawn let go of her instincts and panic seized her. She _couldn’t see_ —she was going to fall! So, of course, she did fall, landing awkwardly on both skates instead of one. Her feet tangled and she came down in a heap on the hard surface of the pond. Furious with herself and humiliated, she sat dumbly on the ice, unwilling to get up.

“Here. There’s a hand in front of you. Grab it!” said a familiar voice.

Dawn looked; saw the darkness of the leather-gloved hand, then looked up. Teddy, it was Teddy. His height loomed over her, although she couldn’t make out his face or see the expression on it.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, not taking his hand.

“I came to see you break your ass.”

Dawn bit her lip, completely confused. “I can’t … I can’t see you very well, so I don’t know if you’re kidding.”

“Listen to my voice,” said Teddy. “I’m not kidding.” He thrust his hand at her again, and this time Dawn took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

Behind Teddy Dawn could make a large shadow.

Teddy followed her gaze and smiled. “Glassy or smooth?”

Dawn burst tears as she realized like before when she was training herself for Sectionals, before his mother had started training her, he had driven the Zamboni out.

“Dawn it’s okay,” Teddy said as he lifted Dawn’s chin so that her eyes met his. “I still love you.”

Dawn smiled and then they heard clapping from behind them.

“It’s Buffy,” Teddy whispered.

Buffy skated out onto the ice and took Dawn’s arm. “Let’s let Teddy fix the ice for you.”

Dawn nodded. “Buffy …”

From that afternoon on, Buffy became Dawn’s coach again. They skated together, though that was in part because Dawn had taken a step backwards and had lost some of her assurance. And Teddy well he always came by and watched from the bench, not from behind a tree. Buffy started Dawn off easy, simple skating moves that required no jumps. They would work on the jumps later.

“Don’t lean,” Buffy said as Dawn leaned into her. “Feel your own balance.” She pushed her sister away. “You have to do this, Dawn if you want to go to Nationals.”

She hadn’t told Dawn that the Nationals committee had saved Dawn a spot incase Dawn should ever get back on the ice.

“Nationals?” Dawn said.

“The Nationals committee saved you a spot,” Buffy said. “When they heard about your accident. When you are ready I’m to give them a call. But I’m not pressuring you into doing Nationals or any other competition. First we have to get you used to the ice without falling. Then we have to get you used to jumping. It’s going to take time, I’m not going to lie to you. You may be ready next week, next year or never, we don’t know. Okay, Dawn, I need you to shut your eyes.”

Dawn hesitated.

“Trust me,” Buffy said. “Shut them.”

With an effort of will, Dawn commanded her eyes shut. At once, she felt a different sensation. Suddenly, skating seemed to the girl the only logical way to move.

“You feel it, I can see it on your face,” Buffy said. “Now do you remember when Mr. Platt first told you of the scholarship? You were skating out here a couple days before.” Dawn nodded. “Vision it in your head. See it, Dawn. Let that image be your benchmarks. Nothing has changed.”

Dawn nodded as she and Buffy began to skate smoothly on the ice, next to Buffy, without hesitation. It made all the difference in the world, not straining to make out what she couldn’t see. With her eyes shut, Dawn began to mirror exactly the movements her memory showed her, as all the practice came back.

Every day it got better. Every day, when Dawn and Buffy stepped out on the ice, Dawn shut her eyes and away they flew. But the time was rapidly coming when Dawn would need to skate on her own again. One day Buffy let herself skate slower than Dawn, who pulled ahead of her sister.

“That’s good, Dawn,” Buffy called to Dawn from several feet behind her.

Dawn’s eyes flew open as she realized Buffy was not beside her anymore. She looked around for her sister.

“Its okay, Dawn,” Buffy said. “Keep your eyes closed. Keep skating. I’m right here; ready to pour on a little Slayer speed if you need me. But you don’t need me. You are doing fine.”

Dawn forced herself to relax and keep skating. Again she shut her eyes and listened to her sister’s voice. She could feel Buffy still skating, just a few feet behind. Close enough to be needed but far enough where Dawn knew she could do it on her own.

“All right. Start to make a gradual turn to the left.”

A turn? Dawn’s body obeyed the command, and she made a somewhat shaky turn.

“Now ease, right,” Buffy said.

A smile crossed Dawn’s lips. This was more fun than she’d expected. She ease right and made a one-foot turn, skating toward the bank of the pond.

“Now picture Teddy waiting for you at the edge,” Buffy said.

Dawn did that and a second later she felt arms wrap around and a kiss as passionate as the first time he had kissed her. “I love you,” she whispered.

“And I you, Dawn,” Teddy replied. “Now, Buffy and I talked and its time. You can picture the pond, perfectly. I’m going to turn you around and you are going to skate out there. With no instruction from either Buffy or myself.”

“No, Teddy,” Dawn pleaded.

“You can do it,” Buffy said as she skated up to the pair.

Teddy turned Dawn around and then gave Dawn a slight push out onto the ice.

Dawn stood there a moment hesitantly and then closed her eyes. She moved and then left the ice in a single clean axel. It was instinctive, and it felt right.

“She’s ready,” Buffy whispered.

Teddy nodded in agreement.

In the midst of the jump Dawn instinctively opened her eyes to check out her landing. All she could see was a blur, and she turned her head in panic from side to side as she spun in the jump. The overwhelming fear of her accident came back to her in a rush. In midair, she lost her balance just as Buffy skated out onto the ice. She fell heavily to the ice, still spinning in circles like a human top.

Buffy reach for her sister and put a steadying hand on Dawn’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You shouldn’t have opened your eyes. It’s not time for that yet.”

Dawn nodded as she folded herself into Buffy’s embrace as the tears came.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Tina switched on the lights as Buffy and Dawn followed her into the rink. She was pleased to see Dawn enter the rink again.

Dawn moved forward slowly, finding her way to the ice by a kind of built-in radar she was beginning to develop.

“She’s come a long ways,” Tina whispered.

“That is in part thanks to your son,” Buffy whispered back.

Dawn stepped up to the edge of the ice. She felt, rather than saw, Buffy come up behind her. “Nobody will come in?” she asked. “You’re sure?”

“Part of the privilege of being co-owner,” Buffy said. “Is that Tina and I can close the rink, cancel sessions … No one is going to come, well maybe Teddy, later. But no one else.” She held up Dawn’s skates. “Here are your skates.”

In Dawn’s first hour on the ice, she became familiar all over again with. Where the edges were. How far it was from end to end. Everything.

Buffy had moved to sit beside Tina in the first row of the bleachers. “You’re doing good, Dawnie,” she called out. “Now cut to the middle.”

Dawn made a good cut and angled across the ice.

“Halfway!” Buffy guided Dawn. “Fifty feet, thirty, ready … lay back!”

Moving in a wide arc, Dawn began to arch her upper body backward, in her own version of the spread eagle. Her movements were poetically graceful.

“Wow,” Tina said. “She has come a long way.”

Buffy smiled and nodded. “You’re turn. You are her coach too, remember?”

Tina nodded and called out. “Reverse!”

Dawn instantly recognized Tina’s voice as a smile crept onto her face. She pulled herself upright and moved back in the opposite direction.

As Tina watched she realized that Dawn’s body was in control of her brain. She was instinctively moving. Then she noticed something Dawn’s eyes were closed.

“Its part of her learning experience,” Buffy explained when Tina asked. “I want her to get used to using the benchmarks her memory provides before she tries to see the world she’s skating in.”

Tina nodded as Dawn skated towards the end of the rink.

“Dawn,” Buffy called. “Prepare for a speed turn. Thirty feet, twenty … now!”

Dawn made a sharp turn and came back across the length of the ice, gathering speed. It was the speed for a jump. She left the ice in a single axel, rotated in the air and came down—smoothly.

“I know,” Buffy whispered. “She’s just now getting used to doing jumps again. It’s not perfect but she’s getting there.”

After that, every dawn saw Tina, Dawn and Buffy at the rink. Every dawn saw Dawn stronger, more confident, and even bolder. Every morning after Dawn’s session Teddy took her to breakfast. While Dawn could not see the smile on his face, she could hear it in his voice every time. And she found herself falling for him all over again.

Eventually Dawn no longer needed a command to tell her where to turn to avoid the railing around the edge of the ice. Buffy had finally allowed Dawn to open her eyes when she skated. While she still could only see shadows. She no longer worried that she could not see where she was going, she knew it. Buffy even tested the theory by taking Dawn to a rink in a neighboring town that Dawn had never skated on. Once Dawn was in the middle of the rink and had a frame of reference she had no problem skating without hitting the railing.

Finally Dawn was ready to train once again for Nationals, for the special slot the National committee had given her.


	20. Chapter 20

The next months were the hardest-working that any of them could remember. Buffy and Tina were on the ice with Dawn an average of fourteen hours a day. And once again Dawn had a fan section, Teddy had called Gen and Ann and they came down and sat with him in the bleachers as they watched Dawn train.

The months passed and Buffy called the Nationals committee with the promise they tell no one about Dawn’s accident. They agreed wholeheartedly that Dawn’s return should be on its own merits not on the fact that she had overcome adversity.

Finally the day they were to leave for Nationals came. It was a strangely silent crew that piled the luggage in the two cars. Each was preoccupied by his or her own thoughts.

Buffy wondered if Giles, Willow and Xander would come. She had told them about Dawn’s progress and the fact that Dawn was now Nationals bound despite being blind.

Tina wondered how Dawn would rank, had word gotten out despite the efforts Buffy had gone to, to make sure no one outside of Millbrook knew that Dawn was legally blind. That she had never recovered from her accident.

Teddy wondered what Dawn’s reaction would be to a question he intended to ask her.

And Dawn wondered if she could do it.

In the second Ann and Gen wondered too if Dawn could do it. They hoped so, Dawn deserved the chance to prove it not only to the nation but to herself.

As they drove the talked and joked. And Dawn well she felt happy, happier than she could ever recall being in the time since and even before the accident. She glanced with her blurred vision at Buffy, Teddy and Tina and smiled at those she loved. She closed her eyes and brought up each of their faces in her mind’s eye.

Two days later they stood at the entrance of the arena in Portland, Oregon. Dawn felt the warmth of the house lights on her face. Before them, the rink stretched empty, a vast, open expanse of scintillating white.

“Wait till it’s full,” said Gen, looking at the rows and rows of empty seats.

“Wow,” breathed Ann.

Dawn forced a terrified smile. “Thanks a lot. Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Buffy came striding down the aisle toward them. “Okay everything is set. Today and tomorrow we will have the arena to ourselves for you to practice, Dawn. After that we have to share the space with the rest of the girls you’re competing with.”

“That should be plenty of time,” said Tina, pleased.

Teddy took Dawn by the hand and led her to the edge of the ice. Tina, Buffy, Gen and Ann followed.

“The tunnel is about fifteen feet wide,” Buffy said. “That’s standard. It’s about thirty feet after that in the open to the ice.”

Dawn nodded to show she was paying attention; she put one foot up on the step and touched the surface, adjusting her foot to the right height.

“I’ll get some adhesive tape,” Gen suggested, “run it along the leading edge of the tread. Nobody will notice.”

Dawn nodded again. “Thanks, Gen.”

“You’re welcome, Dawn,” Gen replied as she gave her friend a brief hug.

“Ready?” Teddy asked.

Dawn took a deep breath. “I guess so,” she said. She took her first steps onto the ice for her practice session.

“Without your skates?” Tina asked.

Dawn laughed. “You all think of everything, don’t you?”

“We try,” Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

For the first hour of practice, Buffy and Dawn skated side by side.

“It’s so large. There’s so much ice. I’m not used to it,” Dawn said.

“It’s an even barrier,” Buffy told her. “Nice easy corners. How does it feel?”

Dawn skated on for a few more feet. “Okay … it feels okay,” she said at last.

Then the hard work began. Over and over, Dawn practiced the distances from the walls for the different parts of the routine. Working with a stopwatch, Tina gave the warning indications of distance and times over and over, until Dawn’s mind and body and skating feet began to learn the dimensions of the rink by heart, and memorize the times.

When she’d worked over the rink three or four times all by herself, with no coaching from Tina, they decided to call it a night.

The next day Dawn did the routine with no prompting flawlessly not once, not twice but three times. That night Teddy took Dawn out to dinner.

“I know you can’t see what I have in my hand,” he said.

Dawn could tell that Teddy was no longer sitting opposite her. But just off to her left and that his voice came from lower down than she normally expected. She realized that Teddy was kneeling there and her eyes widened in realization.

“Dawn,” Teddy said. “The last year has been hard on both of us. But I know now, I want to help you through what life throws at you. I also know that I don’t want to spend another day without you.” He opened the small jewelry box he held. “Will you marry me?”

Dawn smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

Teddy smiled as he took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger.

While Dawn wished she could see what the ring looked like, it didn’t bother her that she couldn’t. She was too happy to care at that moment.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The seats of the arena were filled and Dawn stood in the dressing room waiting her turn. Tina had turned down the sound on the TV so Dawn could keep in her _bubble_.

“Nervous.”

Dawn smiled. “Of course, Xander.”

Xander followed by Giles and Willow stepped into the locker room. They each hugged her in turn.

“How are you doing, Dawn?” Giles asked.

“Other than not being able to see,” Dawn said. “Peachy with a side of keen, as Buffy would have put it.”

Giles, Willow and Xander all laughed and they hugged her once again.

“I’ve talked to Buffy,” Giles said. “That scholarship I promised you. No longer requires a year serving as a Watcher. If you still want to of course, I will be happy to have you on the staff. But you don’t have to.”

“Thanks, Giles,” Dawn said. “We’ll see what happens.”

“I think Dawn has some news she wants to share.”

They turned to see Buffy standing in the doorway.

Dawn smiled and held up her hand that sported the engagement ring.

“You’re getting married?” Willow asked.

Dawn smiled and nodded. “Teddy asked me last night. While I know the wedding will be probably a ways off and everything. I want you to be my bridesmaid with Buffy, Will.”

“I’d be happy too, Dawnie,” Willow said as she hugged Dawn again.

“And Giles,” Dawn said. “I would be happy if you would walk me down the aisle.”

“I would be delighted to, Dawn,” Giles said as he too hugged Dawn again. While he did not say it out loud, he could not have been more proud that Dawn would want him to do such a thing. “Congratulations, Dawn.”

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn did her short program, it wasn’t perfect, but it went well. Her ranking had placed her solidly in third behind someone named Sandra Rucker and Nikki. A couple people in the crowd called out to Dawn, recognizing her from last year’s Sectionals. But all she could do was smile and wave in their direction.

“Hey,” said Gen softly. “Here comes Nikki. Keep going, let’s psych her out.” The psych was guaranteed—almost—to convince the onlooker that Dawn could see.

Nikki and her mother were coming down the tunnel on their way for Nikki to perform her long program. Gen stationed herself at Dawn’s ear.

“Thirty feet,” Gen said. She nudged Dawn in the ribs. “She’s looking. Look left. There are two or three layers of people between you. Now!”

Dawn flashed a warm grin to a spot she couldn’t see.

“Summers,” said the spot.

“Congratulations, Nikki,” called Dawn.

Nikki did not smile at her as she and her mother passed Dawn and Gen.

Gen laughed when Nikki was gone. “Made it.”

There was a burst of distant applause from the arena as Nikki skated onto the ice to do her long program.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

It was finally time for Dawn’s long program. She moved down the tunnel to the ice followed by Gen, Teddy, Buffy and Tina. There was a delay when they reached rinkside; flowers had to be cleaned off the rink.

“You okay?” whispered Gen.

Dawn nodded her head and draped an arm around where she thought Gen was. Gen didn’t say anything but move into Dawn’s embrace as she smiled at her friend. “I’m fine, Gen, promise. Buffy?” She reached out her other arm and Buffy slid into her embrace. “I love you, Buffy.”

“I know,” Buffy said as she returned the embrace. “I love you, I’ll always love you.”

Dawn wiped a tear at the memory of the first time she had heard those words.

“They are just as true today as that day on the tower,” Buffy said as Dawn nodded.

“The next skater to perform a long program will be Dawn Summers,” announced the loudspeakers.

Dawn skated out to the center of the ice and took her stance, waiting.


	21. Epilogue

The audience recognized Dawn, a skater making a comeback after an accident. A skater who performed the short program well. There was a healthy round of applause for her, and then the music started.

Dawn took a deep breath, her eyes very wide. “Here’s for you, Buffy and our mom,” she whispered even though she knew her sister’s Slayer hearing likely picked it up.

And then she began to move. Years from now people who were in Portland that night will be telling stories of how Dawn skated. And people who weren’t there will say they were, because the legend is so strong and still so beautiful that they want to be a part of it, to believe they had been a part of it. But even the most exaggerated stories cannot do justice to the symphony of motion that was Dawn that night. It is possible that her artistry may never be duplicated, even by champions yet unborn.

When the music lifted Dawn up and carried her, she glided backward in arabesque that led naturally to a spread eagle, then a backward spread-eagle performed with such limber artistry that her entire body nearly touched the ice. Then, with perfect clarity, she skated forward in an incredible burst of speed and left the ice in a series of jumps that brought gasps of delight from the entranced spectators. In quick succession, she jumped a double axel, a triple lutz, a double salchow, gaining astonishing heights as she leaped in the four corners of the rink. And then she flew into the air once more … turning, turning, and yet again.

It wasn’t possible! She’s never make it! The spectators stopped breathing. Very few skaters could double a triple flip. No! But she did; she flew like a swallow, winging high and straight, and while the audience sat terrified at the prospect of her failure, Dawn completed a perfect double-triple flip, landed gracefully on her toe picks and set off again into a series of spins that ended only with a deep sit-spin, only inches above the ice, a spin so fast that she was a blur until she stood again and spun to a crossover and a stop.

The music came to a stop, and Dawn stood silent and still in the center of the arena. On the sidelines, Buffy, Gen, Tina and Teddy, wept openly, cheered and yelled with hearts ready to burst. In the stands Giles, Willow and Xander were doing much the same.

The din of the applause became rhythmic; the crowd was demanding that Dawn circle the ice. Smiling Dawn obliged, skating easily around the perimeter.

The flowers began to fall, red roses on the chilly clarity of the ice. Flowers for Dawn.

Of course, she could not see them. What’s more, she didn’t expect them. And she was heading straight for them. On the ice, anything, even a hairpin, is a hazard to blades of even the most experienced skater.

Buffy realized this too late. “ _Dawnie!_ The flowers!” she shouted, desperately trying to shout against and above the applause. But Dawn didn’t her hear and couldn’t have stopped herself even if she had.

The first flower that caught in her blade made her stumble; the second, an instant later. made her fall. Terror filled her face, and the crowed became suddenly very quiet, watching without understanding as Dawn groped around on the ice, on her knees, touching, touching the flowers. They didn’t know. They still didn’t know.

In pain of her, both Buffy and Teddy walked out onto the ice.

Now, a ripple began through the crowd, a whisper that became a murmur, a murmur that became a roar. In an instant, with the speed of ash fire, everyone knew. Dawn couldn’t see; that she had not survived her accident unscathed as they had believed. That Dawn was blind!

Buffy and Teddy reached Dawn and they gave her their hands.

“We forgot about the flowers,” Buffy said simply.

Dawn nodded and squeezed her sister’s hand. She wasn’t hurt; she was a little disoriented maybe, but she was happy that both her sister and husband-to-be were near. They helped her to her feet and led her gently through the mine field of red roses and into the center of the rink.

All at once, the crowd broke into a roar of applause and cheering, louder and louder, hoarse and emotional. But it was alright, it wasn’t pity. They had already cheered her skill, and she had earned that without their pity.

Buffy, Dawn and Teddy stood before the judges’ table. Dawn smiled brightly, although she couldn’t make out the judges’ faces, couldn’t see them clapping and weeping in tribute to her genius.

Suddenly there was a moment of silence as the announcer came over the speakers. “Due to the added technical difficulty the judges have awarded Dawn Summers all perfect sixes. Placing her in first place and securing her a place in the figure skating world championships.”

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

“You ready, Dawn,” Buffy said.

“I’m ready,” Dawn said.

Five months had passed since Dawn had won Nationals. She had passed on going to Worlds. Her dream of skating had been realized. Her next challenge was before her.

Buffy smiled as she opened the door to let Giles in. “She’s all yours.”

Giles smiled and nodded as Buffy left the room. “Nervous?” he asked.

“A little,” Dawn said as she held out her arm and he took it.

Giles led Dawn out of the room and into the rink passing a new sign which read:

SUMMERS AND SUMMERS SKATING RINK

THE HOME OF DAWN SUMMERS SKATING FOR THE BLIND

Tina had decided to retire and sold her half of the rink to Dawn. And Dawn had started teaching blind kids how to skate.

Giles and Dawn made their way out onto the ice toward the center. They like the rest of the wedding party wore skates.

The minister, Giles, Xander and Willow had all been taught to skate. There amongst her friends, her sister and the audience in the bleachers Dawn would be married.

When Giles and Dawn reached the middle, he handed Dawn to Teddy, who pulled her in an embrace as he slowly turned Dawn to face the minister.

“We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Dawn Marie Summers and Theodore Thomas Harwood in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all people; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Not a single soul spoke up.

“Who supports this woman in her marriage to this man?”

Giles smiled. “Myself, her sister and her friends do,” he said.

“And my mom,” Dawn added. “May she rest in peace.”

“Right,” Giles agreed.

“Marriage gives permanence and structure to a couple’s love. It’s a way to tell one another that no matter how much you snore or how much you spent while out at the shopping mall, we’re still in this together. Marriage is telling the person you love that you’re not going anywhere and that’s a powerful commitment for two people to make to one another. The road that has brought Dawn and Theodore here today hasn’t been easy. It’s been filled with challenges that they weren’t necessarily prepared for. But together they’ve taken each one on and have used those experiences to strengthen, not weaken their love.”

“Dawn and Theodore, the vows that you are about to make are a way to share your love and commitment to each other in your own words. Sometimes poems, verses and quotes just don’t get the point across the way you need them to and the best option is just to do it yourself. These vows are your way of openly declaring your promise to one another as well as to all of those who are here in attendance today.”

 

“I take you, Teddy, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love,” Dawn said as she smiled. “I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.”

“I take you, Dawn, to be my friend, my lover and my wife,” Teddy said. “I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.”

“Dawn and Theodore will now exchange rings to symbolize their commitment. Rings are derived from humble beginnings of imperfect metal to create something striking where there was once nothing at all. It is customarily worn on the ring finger as it is the only finger with a vein running directly to the heart. The wearing of the rings is a visible, outward sign that they have committed themselves to one another. Theodore, please take Dawn’s hand and repeat these words.” Teddy took Dawn’s hand in his own. “I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not.”

“I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not,” Teddy said as Xander handed him the ring. He smiled as he then placed the ring on Dawn’s finger.

“Dawn, please take Theodore’s hand and repeat these words.” Dawn took Teddy’s hand in her own. “I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not.”

“I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not,” Dawn said as Buffy handed her the ring. She smiled as she then placed the ring on Teddy’s finger.

“Dawn and Theodore you have professed your love by exchanging your vows. You have symbolized your commitment by exchanging rings. With all of this there is just one more question I need each of you to answer and then we’re off to the reception to celebrate.”

Everyone laughed.

“Dawn, do you take Theodore to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Dawn said.

“Theodore, do you take Dawn to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Theodore replied.

“By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. Theodore you may kiss your bride.”

Teddy smiled and leaned into Dawn as he kissed her passionately.

“It’s my great honor and privilege to be the first to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Harwood-Summers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I enjoyed doing this story. And ever since I finished the Ice Castles chapters in May (2015) I have been thinking of doing a sequel. But if I did one it would likely be with Dawn's daughter as Dawn's story is pretty much finished.


End file.
